The UK has become the 11th country in the world, and only the third in Europe, to ratify Convention 2019 (No. 190) – the first international labour standard to address violence and harassment at work.

Convention No. 190 is a landmark instrument. It 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 of 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”.

This definition protects everyone in the world of work, including interns or apprentices, and persons who exercise the duties or authority of an employer, and covers the public and private sectors, the formal and informal economies, as well as urban and rural areas.

Any form of harassment and violence against workers, whether committed by co-workers, managers or third-parties, is unacceptable. It breaches ethical standards, as well as affecting the physical and psychological health of those affected. An estimated 307,000 UK adults of working age in employment experienced violence at work in 2019/20, including threats and physical assault. There were an estimated 688,000 incidents of violence at work, comprising 299,000 assaults and 389,000 threats.

Commenting on the announcement, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:

“Ratifying the convention is a welcome statement of intent. Unions have campaigned hard for several years to get global protection against workplace violence and harassment, and today's ratification will help to get other nations signed up too. It now comes down to the action and enforcement that follows. No matter who you are, or the job you do, you should be safe from violence and harassment at work. But each year thousands of UK workers are assaulted, abused and harassed while trying to do their job. And we have even seen a rise in violence and abuse towards key workers in the pandemic.

"Unions, government and industry must now work together on the laws and workplace policies needed to prevent abuse and punish those responsible. This should include recognising that not every worker faces the same risks. Insecure workers, frontline staff, women, Black workers and those with other protected characteristics face greater risks that must be addressed.”

The Convention requires ratifying Member States to adopt, in consultation with representative employers’ and workers’ organisations, an inclusive, integrated and gender-responsive approach to preventing and eliminating violence and harassment, through prevention, protection and enforcement measures and remedies, as well as guidance, training and awareness-raising.

It also recognises the different and complementary roles and functions of governments, employers and workers and their respective organisations, taking into account the varying nature and extent of their responsibilities. The Convention and its accompanying Recommendation are tangible evidence of the enduring value and strength of social dialogue and tripartism, which have shaped them and will be essential in implementing them at national level.

In depositing the official instrument of ratification at the ceremony held at the ILO in Geneva, the Rt Hon Dr Thérèse Coffey MP, Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, stated:

“No one should be the target of violence and harassment, especially for simply doing their job. I am pleased to be here to mark the UK’s ratification of the ILO Violence and Harassment Convention; the first international treaty to recognise the right to a world of work free from violence and harassment.”