The Philippines is the first Asian country to ratify an international convention against workplace violence and harassment, the International Labor Organization (ILO) said Friday.
The ILO said the Philippines has deposited the instrument of ratification of the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190) – the 38th in the world and the first in Asia to do so.
Convention 190 affirms the fundamental right of individuals to a workplace free from violence and harassment. It also introduces the first globally recognized definition of workplace violence and harassment, and offers protection to all individuals in the workforce, including apprentices and those with employer duties or authority.
It also covers both public and private, formal and informal economies, and urban and rural areas.
The convention requires member states to adopt inclusive, gender-responsive strategies for preventing and eradicating workplace violence and harassment in partnership with representative employers’ and workers’ organizations.
During the ceremony held at the ILO headquarters in Geneva, Labor and Employment Undersecretary Ernesto Bitonio said the convention “transcends the traditional boundaries of physical spaces, territory and geography, of formal and Informal work arrangements, of urban and rural communities, of corporate halls and households.”
ILO Deputy Director-General Celeste Drake said the ratification marks an important step in ending violence and harassment in the world of work.
“It is time to make workplaces free from violence and harassment a reality everywhere, promoting and realizing social justice for all,” she said. (ABS-CBN News)
