108th Session of the International Labour Conference: Ending Violence and Harassment in the World of Work

Position Paper on the Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the World of Work

This document is based on the recommendations of the Parallel Commission on “Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the World of Work”, which convened during the 6^th StreetNet International Congress on 11 April 2019 in Kyrgyzstan.

Taking into account the reflection of the Parallel Commission on
“Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the World of Work”, it was noted that:

Informal economy consists of various sectors of workers who are outside the traditional definitions of a “worker”. So-called employer-employee relationships are not applicable to these sectors. Many are self-employed and also operate independent economic units. Identity and representation of this category of workers is complex in the value chain concept.

To read a full Position Paper document, please click here.

After analysing the proposed text of the upcoming Convention and Recommendation on “Ending Violence and Harassment in the World of Work”, set out in the Blue Report V (2B), StreetNet has considered the lack of essential points, which should be added to the Convention text, as follows:

Article 4

For the purposes of this Convention, victims and perpetrators of violence and harassment in the world of work can be:

(a) employers and workers, and their respective representatives, to add: public authorities and enforcement agents and other persons referred to in Article 2; and

(b) in accordance with national law and practice, third parties, including clients, customers, service providers, users, patients and members of the public.

Article 9:

Each Member shall take appropriate measures to prevent violence and harassment in the world of work, including:

(a) identifying, in consultation with the employers’ and workers’ organizations, to add: public authorities and enforcement agents concerned and through other means, the sectors, occupations and work arrangements in which workers and other persons concerned are more exposed to violence and harassment; and

(b) taking measures to effectively protect such persons.