Global Trade Union Movement Launches Toolkit In Campaign To Eradicate Violence And Harassment In The World Of Work

As the International Labour Organization Convention 190 on violence and harassment in the world of work comes into force on 25 June 2021, global unions launch toolkit to support the Convention and its Recommendation 206. The manual will provide thousands of unions around the world with critical tools in the fight to eradicate violence and harassment.

Belgium, June 24, 2021

Affecting millions of workers globally, physical assault, bullying, sexual harassment, online abuse, economic violence and abusive work practices are some of the most widespread forms of violence in the world of work.

Thanks to intensive lobbying by trade unions and women groups across the world, Convention 190 and Recommendation 206 provide a foundation for trade unions, employers and other stakeholders to address violence and harassment in the world of work. The Convention and the Recommendation extend to all sectors – public and private – as well as the informal economy, and are the first international instruments of this kind.

The new toolkit aims to support unions to develop training programmes and workplace solutions that tackle violence and harassment, with a special focus on gender-based violence and harassment and ensure that violence is no longer considered “part of the job”. It is also a useful tool for trade unions campaigning for the ratification of Convention 190 in their countries.

Welcoming the toolkit, Susan Hopgood, Education International President, stated:

“Many years ago, the trade union movement set out to end violence and harassment in the world of work. Convention 190 and Recommendation 206 are a great victory for us all and especially for the women who spearheaded this movement. It is a great step forward but it's just the first. We now need to ensure every country ratifies and implements the Convention. We also need to work in our unions so that every union member becomes an agent of change. We must press on until we make this convention a reality for workers everywhere.”

The launch of the toolkit comes at a critical moment. Evidence shows that all types of violence against women and girls have intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, making women workers especially vulnerable. A lack of policies and employer support to respond to and prevent this violence have led many women to develop anxiety, mental illness or resulted in decreased job performance and impacted women's revenue. Domestic violence, while taking place outside the workplace, can also have significant physiological and physical implications on abused workers. Moreover, intersecting discrimination creates another layer of inequalities that increases the risk of violence and harassment.

The toolkit features a facilitators’ guide and an activities workbook aiming to:

• Encourage discussion about violence and harassment and gender-based violence in the world of work;
• Raise awareness about Convention 190, its accompanying Recommendation 206 and its significance for workers – particularly women workers;
• Encourage unions across the world to campaign for the ratification of Convention 190 and its effective implementation in line with Recommendation 206;
• Encourage unions to use these instruments to integrate Convention 190 into the union bargaining agenda;
• Build stronger unions to enable workers to assert their rights to a world of work free from violence and harassment.

The Toolkit will be officially launched during a webinar on 25 June at 2 pm (CEST).

Please click here to register.

Download

The Activity Workbook is available at https://eiie.io/3vTp2nl.

The Facilitator Guide is available at https://eiie.io/3j6ncwD.

About global unions

The global unions are: the International Trade Union Confederation; Building and Wood Workers’ International; Education International; IndustriALL Global Union; the International Domestic Workers Federation; the International Federation of Journalists; the International Transport Workers Federation; the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tourism, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations; Public Services International and UNI Global Union.

About Education International

Education International is the global voice of educators and the world’s largest, most representative organisation of education unions.

Through its 386 member organisations, Education International represents more than 32.5 million teachers and education support personnel in 178 countries and territories.

Education International works to promote peace, democracy, social justice and equity through education and the collective strength of teachers and education employees. Find out more at www.ei-ie.org.

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