Armenia to join International Labor Organization Convention on  Violence and Harassment

ArmInfo.  On May 22, the Armenian government approved a draft law on ratification of the International Labor Organization Convention on Violence and Harassment.

As stated in the explanatory note to the document, the Convention  protects workers and other persons, regardless of their contractual  status, as well as persons in training, including interns and  apprentices, workers whose employment has been terminated,  volunteers, job seekers, and job applicants. It also applies to  persons exercising the powers, duties, or responsibilities of an  employer.

The Convention defines the term in the  workplace, as well as the actions of member states to prevent and  eliminate violence and harassment in the workplace.

The Convention applies to both the private and public sectors, and to  both the formal and informal economies. It applies to violence and  harassment at work that occurs in, related to, or arises out of work.

Ratification of the Convention will contribute to: Maintaining safety  and health at work. Ratification of the Convention will strengthen  Armenia's commitment to ensuring safe and healthy workplaces for all  workers. The Convention aims to combat violence and harassment in the  workplace, which is important for improving the safety and well-being  of workers.

Compliance with international standards. By ratifying the Convention,  Armenia will be considered a country committed to promoting fair  labour practices from a human rights perspective, which will help  build and strengthen partnerships with the international community.

Protecting workers' rights. Ratifying the Convention will demonstrate  Armenia's commitment to protecting the rights of all workers,  particularly vulnerable groups who may face increased risk of  violence and harassment in the workplace.

Socio-economic development Providing a safe and respectful working  environment increases productivity and job satisfaction.

Reducing economic costs. Violence and harassment in the workplace  results in significant economic costs in the form of lost employee  turnover and productivity. Ratifying the Convention will encourage  employers to take preventive measures, which will ultimately help  minimize these costs.

Commitment to gender equality. The Convention explicitly recognizes  the special challenges women face in the workplace related to  violence and harassment.

Promoting social dialogue. The Convention encourages social dialogue  between government, employers and workers, so ratification will  facilitate a collaborative approach to addressing workplace issues,  allowing different stakeholders to contribute to finding solutions.

From the point of view of strengthening legislation and policy,  ratification of the Convention will contribute to the improvement of  the labor policy of the Republic of Armenia and strengthening the  fight against violence and harassment.