TUCP party-list files bill seeking to codify rules vs workplace violence
THE Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) filed a bill on Thursday to fully implement International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 190 (C190), which deals with eliminating violence and harassment in the workplace.
The measure, filed by TUCP Party-list Rep. and Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza, aims to protect workers from physical, psychological, and economic harm, with a strong emphasis on addressing economic violence.
The TUCP, the country’s largest labor federation, said that as the first Asian country to ratify ILO Convention No. 190, the Philippines must follow through by enforcing its provisions.
It also noted that the proliferation of short-term contractual work, commonly known as endo, leads to economic violence.
Poverty wages and job insecurity, the TUCP warned, trap workers in cycles of poverty and desperation.
“This landmark legislation highlights the overlooked economic violence, which TUCP claimed is happening in workplaces as endo proliferates and union organizing is effectively muzzled through various schemes from outright killings to threats, intimidation, harassment, and termination of employment,” Mr. Mendoza added in a statement.
The bill expands the definition of violence and harassment to include “a range of unacceptable behaviors and practices, or threats thereof, whether a single occurrence or repeated, that result in or are likely to result in physical, psychological, sexual, or economic harm.”
ILO C190, adopted in June 2019 and ratified in 2022, is the first international treaty to recognize the right of everyone to work free from violence and harassment.
The convention defined violence and harassment in the world of work broadly, encompassing physical, psychological, sexual, and economic harm, and applies to all workers, regardless of employment status.
It requires governments to adopt laws and policies to prevent and address violence and harassment while ensuring protection and remedies for affected workers.
Mr. Mendoza also underscored the urgency of addressing the economic struggles of women workers during Women’s Month, saying they bear the heaviest burden due to persistent gender pay gaps and the disproportionate share of unpaid care work at home.
“We cannot claim to be protecting workers from violence and harassment just by ratifying ILO Convention No. 190 while keeping them trapped in poverty and starvation — a form of economic harm that ILO Convention No. 190 seeks to prohibit — without a wage hike for workers’ prosperity and dignity.”
The TUCP is pushing for a P200 legislated wage hike, which cleared the House of Representatives on second reading in January. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana
