By Joan Nwagwu
The African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) has called on African governments to ratify the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention No. 190 to strengthen protection against workplace violence and harassment.
This is contained in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by Mr Akhator-Joel Odigie, General Secretary of ITUC-Africa, to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the adoption of ILO Convention No. 190 and Recommendation No. 206.
Odigie said the adoption of the convention in June 2019 marked a historic milestone, providing the first legally binding international instrument dedicated exclusively to addressing violence and harassment in the workplace.
According to him, the convention emerged after years of advocacy by trade unions, women workers’ movements and civil society organisations seeking stronger protections for workers and safer working environments worldwide.
“Violence and harassment at work, including gender-based violence and harassment, remain among the most pervasive yet least prosecuted violations of workers’ rights across Africa,” he said.
Odigie said that workers in domestic service, healthcare, manufacturing and agriculture continued to face abuse, intimidation and violence, with women bearing a disproportionate share of the burden.
He expressed concern that six years after the convention’s adoption, ratification and implementation across Africa remained slow, leaving many workers without the legal safeguards envisioned under the international labour instrument.
“Only a small number of African states have ratified Convention No. 190, while the majority have left workers without the full legal protection envisaged under the convention,” he said.
The ITUC-Africa secretary-general commended trade unions and affiliated organisations that had developed workplace policies on violence and harassment and incorporated the convention’s provisions into collective bargaining agreements.
He said such initiatives reflected the practical workplace action envisaged under the convention and had contributed significantly to promoting safer, more inclusive and respectful working environments across sectors.
Odigie urged governments to ratify the convention without delay, strengthen domestic laws, allocate adequate resources for enforcement and establish accessible, confidential and survivor-centred reporting and redress mechanisms.
“We call on governments to allocate adequate resources for enforcement and establish accessible, confidential and survivor-centred reporting and redress mechanisms for affected workers,” he said.
He also urged employers to adopt zero-tolerance policies on workplace violence and harassment, while calling on trade unions to deepen advocacy, organising and support for vulnerable workers.
According to him, domestic workers, informal workers and women workers remain among the groups most exposed to violence and harassment and therefore require stronger institutional and legal protection measures.
“We also urge the ILO and international partners to scale up technical assistance and capacity-building support for African countries undertaking ratification and implementation processes,” he said.
Odigie emphasised that workers’ voices, particularly those of women, must remain central to the design, implementation and monitoring of programmes aimed at eliminating workplace violence and harassment.