Congress approved to ratify Convention 190, on violence and harassment at work

The plenary session of Congress approved, with 110 votes in favor, the ratification of Convention 190 of the International Labor Organization (ILO), on violence and harassment in the world of work.

The agreement, which contains 20 articles, protects workers from violence and harassment in the workplace in the public or private sector, formal or informal, as well as in urban or rural areas. It also determines the places and circumstances where these behaviors and practices occur.

In the first article, the definitions of violence and harassment in the world of work are established, as well as the expression “gender-based violence and harassment” as that which is directed against people because of their sex or gender and includes the sexual harassment.

Likewise, it specifies that every member state that ratifies the Convention must respect, promote and ensure the enjoyment of the right of every person to a world of work free of violence and harassment.

It must also adopt, in accordance with the legislation, the national situation and, in consultation with social work organizations, an inclusive, integrated approach that takes into account gender considerations to prevent and eliminate violence and harassment in the world. from work. Similarly, enforcement and follow-up control mechanisms must be established or existing ones strengthened, such as foreseeing sanctions.

The convention specifies that ILO members, in consultation with representative organizations of employers and workers, have an obligation to ensure national policies that address violence and harassment in the world of work, including those relating to safety and occupational health, equality and non-discrimination, and migration.

On December 13, 2021, the Foreign Relations Committee of the Parliament unanimously approved the opinion of the Draft Legislative Resolution No. 249-2021-PE.

On January 20 of this year, the Ministry of Labor and Employment Promotion (MTPE), through a statement, urged the Congress of the Republic, through the Board of Spokespersons, to prioritize the opinion of the draft legislative resolution.

Then, on January 25, 2022, through an official letter, the MTPE asked the president of the Congress of the Republic to prioritize this issue on the agenda of the plenary session and, finally, today it was unanimously ratified.