The Republic of Moldova will ratify the ILO Convention 190 to provide a safe and respectful workplaces for all

The current situation of the problem, as well as recommendations for aligning national legislation with the provisions of the ILO Convention, were discussed on Monday 26th June during a workshop. Together with Recommendation No. 206, Convention No. 190 provides a clear and comprehensive framework for intervention to protect victims of domestic violence, such as paid leave, flexible working arrangements and temporary protection measures against dismissal.

Recent research conducted by the ILO reveals that almost 23 per cent of people in employment have experienced violence and harassment at work, whether physical, psychological or sexual, during their working life.Globally, 18 percent of employed men and women said they had experienced psychological violence and harassment in their working life, and 8.5 per cent had faced physical violence and harassment. This study also shows that men are more affected by physical violence while women are particularly exposed to sexual violence and harassment.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted workplace violence and harassment in some industries, and working from home has resulted in increased domestic violence phenomenon and a higher risk of cyberbullying.

Labour legislation in Moldova establishes some general procedures to protect against violence and harassment in the world of work. The Penal and Contraventions Codes provide legal responsibility for acts of harassment, including harassment at work. However, the application of these provisions is limited and existing law enforcement practice based on these provisions does not ensure effective protection of people against violence and harassment at work.

A survey conducted in 2023 by the Centre for Partnership for Development (CPD) shows that in Moldova few people report sexual harassment at the workplace. In 2022 there were 9 sentences pronounced. The highest incidence of sexual harassment cases are the subtle ones, such as inappropriate looking (7.3%), inappropriate gestures (5.9%), sexually suggestive language and jokes (3.4%). The most serious forms recorded are threats to engage in sexual contact (0.3%) and use of force to engage in sexual contact (0.4). The most frequent cases are among women, and most often they occur during working hours.

MP Angela Munteanu Pojoga highlighted that "the Convention affirms that everyone has the right to a world of work free from violence and harassment. It also provides for the first internationally agreed definition of violence and harassment in the world of work, including gender-based violence, understood as a range of unacceptable behaviours and practices that aim at, result in, or are likely to result in physical, psychological, sexual or economic harm”.

Members of the working group, created from representatives of the Parliament, the Government, the International Labour Organisation, the National Confederation of Trade Unions of Moldova, the National Confederation of Employers of the Republic of Moldova and civil society will finalize the recommendations so that the Parliament can ratify the Convention in the parliamentary session in autumn 2023.

"We would like to be prepared to ratify this convention by autumn, in order to include Moldova in the list of countries ratifying and implementing important UN standards," said Corina Ajder, State Secretary at the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection.

"The ratification process of the Convention was initiated in 2021, when the Istanbul Convention was ratified. Moldova has ratified 43 ILO Conventions because we believe that a world of work should exist free from violence and harassment", states Ala Lipciu, ILO Moldova National Coordinator.

The Convention entered into force on 25 June 2021. So far, 31 countries have ratified Convention 190, including Greece, Albania, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, the UK and Canada.

The discussions can be accessed here.