Senate concurs with ILO C190 ratification

The Senate on Monday, December 11, 2023, concurred with the Philippines' ratification of the International Labour Organization (ILO) convention addressing violence and harassment in the world of work.

Voting 20-0-0, members of the chamber approved on third and final reading Proposed Resolution No. 877, concurring in the ratification of the ILO Convention No. 190, or the "Convention Concerning the Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the World of Work" (ILO C190).

Committee on Foreign Relations chairperson Sen. Imee Marcos said the ILO C190 is the first international treaty to recognize the fundamental right of people to a work free from violence and harassment, including gender-based violence and harassment.

Marcos said the Convention covers the entire world of work: whether in the public or private sector, regardless of the workplace and status of employment, as well as persons in training, interns and apprentices, volunteers, and job applicants.

"The Convention will also help our OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) who are unaware of how they will hold abusive employers liable and those who fear they will be bullied if they report to authorities," Marcos also stressed in her sponsorship speech.

Aside from Marcos, Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, and Senators Pia Cayetano, Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada, Risa Hontiveros, and Robinhood C. Padilla co-sponsored the resolution.

"By stipulating the implementation of awareness-raising initiatives, aimed at combatting violence and harassment, ILO C190 endeavors to foster work environments that are founded upon the principles of dignity and respect, thus ensuring the fundamental rights and well-being of the global workforce," Legarda stressed.

"The nature of violence and harassment in the world of work is multifaceted, and ILO C190 not only recognizes this reality but also highlights the importance of prevention, protection, and redressal mechanisms," Villanueva, for his part, said.

Under the Violence and Harassment Convention, member-states are urged to adopt, in accordance with national laws and circumstances and in consultation with employers' and workers' organizations, "an inclusive, integrated, and gender-responsive approach for the prevention and elimination of violence and harassment in the world of work."

Its accompanying Recommendation No. 206, meanwhile, urges countries to promote the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining as a means of preventing and addressing violence and harassment.

"The ratification of the ILO C190 will fortify the Philippine government's mandate and policy in promoting and protecting the rights of Filipino workers, locally and overseas, by pushing for a work environment with zero tolerance for violence and harassment," the adopted resolution stated.

The Senate also recognized that the ILO C190 ratification will fulfill key targets under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly with respect to the goals on Gender Equality, and Decent Work and Economic Growth.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. ratified the ILO C190 on October 13, 2023.

Under the 1987 Constitution, treaties and international agreements shall be valid and effective after the concurrence of at least two-thirds of all members of the Senate.