ILO considers treaty on workplace harassment

The annual International Labour Organization (ILO) conference has kicked off in Geneva with talks focusing on a new international treaty to protect workers from harassment and violence which could be adopted by 2019.  Over 5,000 worker, government and employer delegates from ILO’s 187 member states are gathered at the United Nations Palais des Nations for the International Labour Conference, which runs from May 28 to June 8.  The issue of violence and harassment against women and men in the world of work is one of the highlights of the ten-day session, as delegates discuss a proposed new international legal instrument – a Convention or a Recommendation, or a combination of both – to protect workers.  ILO director-general Guy Ryder says the ILO started discussing such an idea in 2015, well before the recent spate of sexual misconduct allegations against high-profile figures such as American film producer Harvey Weinstein, and the spread of the #MeToo campaign worldwide.  “During ...