Working towards an international standard

The tripartite International Labour Organisation (ILO) says that there cannot be decent work with violence at work. In June 2018, the ILO conference will discuss the issue of work-related violence in order to set international standards. In preparation for this discussion, a number of expert meetings are taking place. These involve government, employer and trade union representatives.

The expert meetings are reviewing what is considered to be violence in the world of work, related trends, forms and incidence; examining the gender dimensions of work-related violence; and reviewing the impact of violence on workers and organisations. They are also looking at national and international laws and regulations, collective agreements and workplace policies aimed at combating violence at work.

At present, while several ILO recommendations mention the need to address violence or sexual harassment, none defines “violence” nor indicates the steps that governments, employers and unions should take to prevent and tackle work-related violence.

As well as providing guidance, the experts will also identify best practice in tackling work-related violence in different parts of the world. For example, Dr Phoebe Moore, representative for the UCU lecturers’ union, is is looking specifically at the psycho-social impacts of technological change in contemporary workplaces and trade union responses.