On Tuesday 12 March, MEPs called on all Member States to ratify the International Labour Organization’s Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190) (see EUROPE 13140/25) as soon as possible.
On this occasion, they gave the EU countries the go-ahead to ratify the convention, with 517 votes in favour, 59 against and 26 abstentions. By March 2024, eight EU Member States had ratified the Convention.
Led by Belgian MEP Cindy Franssen (EPP), the rapporteur on the draft decision by the Council of the EU to ratify the Convention, the elected representatives highlighted the gendered dimension of this violence in the workplace, pointing out that one in three women in the EU has experienced some form of physical and/or sexual violence, and that around a third of these had experienced this abuse at work. Over the last five years, one in five people worldwide has been a victim of violence and harassment at work.
This Convention is the first international treaty to recognise the right to work free from violence and harassment; the treaty also covers the situation of the informal economy, migrant workers, trainees and apprentices.
The Convention requires EU countries to adopt appropriate measures to prevent violence and harassment at work in order to promote a healthy, safe and equal working environment for all and to take measures to protect victims, witnesses and whistleblowers from victimisation or reprisals.
Elected representatives such as Marc Angel (S&D, Luxembourg) wanted the EU to become a pioneer in the fight against violence against women, particularly in the workplace.
Link to the draft resolution: https://aeur.eu/f/b97 (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)