Published: 4 Sep 2020
National Secretary Paddy Crumlin and National Officer Mich-Elle Myers wrote to Ministers Payne and Porter calling on the federal government to ratify ILO Convention 190
The letter can be downloaded here
Convention 190 and Recommendation 206 are the first international legal standards that specifically recognise the right of everyone to a world of work free from violence and harassment, including gender-based violence and harassment.
The adoption of the convention came about after a long campaign and negotiatioan at the ILO which included representatives from the ITF and the ACTU in 2019.
The Convention defines broadly the term violence and harassment, which includes not only physical and verbal abuse, but psychosocial risks and abusive work practices. The Convention protects all workers in the formal and informal economy, including volunteers, trainees and apprentices, and sets out clearly the role of governments and the social partners in preventing, addressing and remedying violence and harassment. It includes protection against third party violence and harassment, as well as protection against the impacts of domestic violence in the world of work.
In any circumstances, the ratification and proper implementation of C190 and R206, would be urgent to address the scourge of violence and harassment in the world of work, and particularly the prevalence of gender-based violence. The COVID-19 pandemic has, however, brought a new urgency. We have been witnessing an unacceptable rise in violence and harassment against workers deemed “essential” such as health and care workers, food retail workers and transport workers. We have also seen an alarming surge in cases of domestic violence worldwide because of confinement measures. C190 and R206 set out clear steps that governments and the social partners can take to mitigate the impacts of domestic violence, including when home is the place of the work.
Australian Unions have a petition that you can sign to call on the government to ratify C190
SIGN THE PETITION HERE
