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Govt urged to ratify convention against harassment in workplace
Indonesian labor unions have applauded the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) new convention that aims to combat violence and harassment in the workplace, and urged the government to immediately ratify the treaty to provide better protection for workers in the country
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span>Indonesian labor unions have applauded the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) new convention that aims to combat violence and harassment in the workplace, and urged the government to immediately ratify the treaty to provide better protection for workers in the country.
An alliance campaigning for the end of violence, discrimination and harassment in the workplace said the convention provided hope for all workers, whether they worked in public spaces or private property.
Lita Anggraini from the National Network for Domestic Worker Advocacy (Jala PRT), which is also a member of the alliance, told The Jakarta Post on Sunday that it was time for the government to ratify the treaty on account of rampant violence and harassment in the workplace.
Jala PRT recorded 427 cases of violence and harassment against domestic workers last year, a 20 percent increase from around 355 cases in the previous year.
“And the cases are just the tip of an iceberg. We believe that many more cases go unreported due to the country’s weak regulations on workers’ safety,” Lita said.
Meanwhile, Luviana from the Media and Creative Workers Trade Union (Sindikasi) said women media workers were vulnerable to sexual harassment and discrimination based on their looks. Luviana was inspired to direct a movie about women in the media entitled More than Work.
The movie itself tells the story of, among others, a woman who must face the reality that her journalist dream job would not be as pleasant as she had hoped after she was assaulted by a colleague. “It is based on a true story,” Luviana said.
She added that the government had yet to adopt a law that specifically protected workers from harassment and
discrimination.
“Therefore, ratifying such a treaty is urgently needed, so the government can design regulations to protect all workers,” she said.
The convention, which was adopted on June 21 on the final day of the Centenary International Labor Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, stipulates that every country that ratifies the treaty shall, among other things, “adopt a comprehensive strategy in order to implement measures to prevent and combat violence and harassment; establish or strengthen enforcement and monitoring mechanisms; ensure access to remedies and support for victims; as well as provide for sanctions”.
The convention, furthermore, will be applicable to violence and harassment during work-related trips, travel, training, events or social activities; and when commuting to and from work — to name a few.
The government, in this case the Manpower Ministry, said that it fully supported the convention adoption to combat violence and harassment in work.
“This is a form of shared commitment to promote a decent workplace for all Indonesian workers,” Manpower Minister Hanif Dhakiri said in a press statement. The minister, however, did not mention details of the ratification.
Lita from Jala PRT said that historically, the government had been quick to express its support for ILO conventions but failed to follow up by ratifying conventions. “Back in 2011, Indonesia voted ‘yes’ for the birth of the Domestic Workers Convention. It, however, has yet to ratify the document up until now,” Lita said. She urged the government to ratify the Domestic Workers Convention and the Violence and Harassment Convention.
