A National Level Seminar on the Status of the Ratification of ILO Convention No. 190 in Sri Lanka

South Asian Regional Trade Union Council (SARTUC), in collaboration with FNV Mondiaal and South Asia Gender Platform (SAGP), organised a two-day national seminar on the “Status of the Ratification of ILO Convention No. 190 in Sri Lanka’ in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 10-11-February 2025.

The seminar discussed the important questions on the Ratification of ILO C190 in Sri Lanka with the Government, Employers' representatives along with representation of trade unions as well as representatives from CSOs. It is thus, time that the SARTUC realised the importance of the national level seminar on the status of ILO C190 ratification in Sri Lanka with the participation of all the stakeholders - government, employers, trade unions, and CSOs. Therefore, the SARTUC, in collaboration with FNV Mondiaal and South Asia Gender Platform (SAGP), organised a two-day national seminar on the “Status of the Ratification of ILO Convention No. 190 in Sri Lanka’ in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 10-11-February 2025

The ILO has adopted the first international standards for eliminating violence and harassment in the world of work, including gender-based violence in International Labour Conference (ILC) 2019 - the ILO Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190) and its accompanying Recommendation (No. 206). These instruments provide a clear plan for preventing and addressing violence and harassment in the workplace, also, these are considered the key elements for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Convention recognises the right of everyone to a workplace free from violence and harassment.

Despite having legal provisions, harassment and violence at the workplace continue to remain a serious issue in Sri Lanka due to unequal gender power relations and policy gaps. Existing provisions have been insufficient in practice and there is a lack of appropriate legal mechanisms and systems to address it.

The unions have been lobbying with the government to address gender issues and for the ratification of C190. Moreover, some unions have even trained their affiliates’ leaders on gender issues including the importance of ratification of C190 and mobilized for awareness campaigns. In Sri Lanka, unions have conducted dialogue sessions between unions and other interest groups on the ratification of C190. Unions are part of the National Labour Advisory committee which discusses workers’ rights and have raised the importance of ratification. The previous labour minister pledged that the country would ratify soon, but with current political changes there has been no movement from the government.

Objectives:
• To establish the exact position and status of Sri Lanka on the ratification of ILO C190 Sri Lanka for the prevention and elimination of violence and harassment in the world of work;
• To discuss the efforts and activities of national trade union centres to prevent gender-based violence in the workplace;
• To explore the realities, efforts, and campaigns of all the stakeholders - government, employers, trade unions, and CSOs for the ratification of ILO C190 in Sri Lanka;
• To identify and develop strategies collectively for the ratification of ILO C190 in Sri Lanka.