The Leaders Forum, a bipartite gathering of Philippine employer and trade union representatives, has lauded the Senate for concurring in the ratification of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) convention addressing violence and harassment in the world of work.
The Leaders Forum in a January 19, 2024 release commended the Marcos Administration and the Philippine Senate for the ratification of the ILO’s Convention 190 (ILO C190), noting the C190 “is a common victory for all and stands to benefit workers and businesses throughout our country.”
“C190 is an important pillar to support initiatives aimed at addressing violence and harassment in the world of work. Its scope—from the workplace to the home and everything in between—promises comprehensive social protection for working people, especially women,” said the Forum.
The group is comprised of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), Federation of Free Workers (FFW), Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (PHILEXPORT), Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO), and Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP).
The statement of support was signed by ECOP chair Edgardo G. Lacson, FFW national president Jose Sonny G. Matula, PCCI president Enunina V. Mangio, PHILEXPORT president Sergio R. Ortiz Luis, Jr., SENTRO chair Daniel L. Edralin, and TUCP president Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza.
The business and labor chiefs stressed the importance of a policy environment that sets sustainability as necessary whilst enabling the workforce to fully enjoy their lives. “Equality is an aspiration shared by the vast majority of Filipinos. Each and every one of us deserves decent employment, social protection, and a social environment that fully recognizes our rights,” they said.
“To this end, governments, employers, and trade unions have the common responsibility to put up people-centric, equitable, and just policies and practices that cover the world of work,” they added.
On December 11, 2023, the Senate, voting 20-0-0, approved on third and final reading Proposed Resolution No. 877, concurring in the Philippines’ ratification of the ILO C190 or the “Convention Concerning the Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the World of Work.”
Under the Convention, member-states are urged to adopt “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 recognition of the right to collective bargaining as a means of preventing and addressing violence and harassment.
President Ferdinand 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 Senate members.