Marcos seeks Senate concurrence on ILO letter promoting workers’ welfare

PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. has endorsed and submitted for Senate concurrence an International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention aimed at promoting and upholding the welfare of workers and addressing workplace violence and harassment.

Malacanang released yesterday a copy of the letter, dated October 13 and addressed to Senate President Juna Miguel Zubiri and the members of the Senate, submitting for the Senate’s consideration and concurrence the instrument of ratification for ILO Convention No. 190, or the Convention Concerning the Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the World of Work adopted by the ILO Convention General Conference in Geneva, Switzerland in June 2019.

The President said that after examining the convention’s text, he found it advisable for the Senate to ratify the ILO Convention 190.

Marcos said ratifying 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.

“In this regard, the country’s commitments relative to the ILO C190 contribute to the performance of key targets under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly with respect to Goal 5 on Gender Equality and Goal 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth,” he said.

He added the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Commission on Human Rights (CHR), Civil Service Commission (CSC), Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), and the Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat have concurred with the proposed ratification.

The ILO Convention 190 (ILO C190), which came into force on June 25, 2021, applies to all sectors, public or private, in urban and rural areas, both in the formal and informal economy and provides a common framework to address violence and harassment, including gender-based violence, in the world of work.

It is the first common international framework that addresses violence and harassment, including gender-based violence, in the world or at work.