The Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Ghana Employers Association (GEA) have pledged to lead efforts to enforce zero-tolerance towards violence and harassment at workplaces.

Workplace violence is any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behaviour that occurs at the work site.

It ranges from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and even homicide.

The organizations promised to collaborate on preventive measures and to ensure that perpetrators of workplace violence and harassment were held accountable.

The TUC and GEA pledged at a sensitisation workshop on the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 190 in Accra.

The two-day workshop was organized by TUC and GEA and supported by the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO) and the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO-Norway).

It was aimed at addressing the challenges of workplace violence and harassment and also provided participants with the opportunity to share knowledge, build strategies, and strengthen their collective understanding of how they could improve the work environment in Ghana.

The TUC and the GEA underscored the need for all stakeholders to actively work to promote a safe and inclusive environment where dignity and respect are upheld for all.

This the duo said, includes the ratification and adoption of policies in line with ILO Convention 190, strengthening reporting mechanisms, and raising awareness on the issue, especially among vulnerable groups such as women and young workers.

Speaking at the event, Mr Joshua Ansah, General Secretary of TUC noted that “Convention 190 represents a landmark achievement in global labour standards, recognizing for the first time that everyone had the right to a world of work free from violence, including gender-based violence”.

He said in Ghana, evidence of workplace violence and harassment was prevalent in all sectors both formal and informal, particularly among women and vulnerable groups.

Mr Ansah mentioned that the TUC and its partners remained committed and determined to create a working environment where workers, irrespective of their gender or status, feel safe, valued, and protected.

Mr Joseph Kingsley Amuah, Director of Industrial Relations at GEA also stated that violence and harassment undermined the well-being of employees, reduced productivity and damaged the reputation of enterprises, as such, for employers, addressing these challenges was crucial.

He said the ILO Convention 190 offered a comprehensive framework that allowed employers to prevent and respond to incidents of violence and harassment.

He stated that the Convention helps to create workplaces where dignity and respect are priorities, leading to improved productivity and stronger business performance.

“In view of this, GEA has been working closely with the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relation (MELR) and other key stakeholders to domesticate key provisions of the Conventions and ensure that the processes for its ratification and implementation are moving forward”.

Mr Amuah was hopeful that the ratification of the Convention and its accompanying Recommendation 206 would provide a solid framework for addressing violence and harassment in the Ghanaian labour market.

Madam Nina Berggered Monsen, Adviser at LO –Norway described the workshop as part of its social dialogue programme between LO and its social partner NHO, which has an objective of strengthening the social dialogue between the social partners in Ghana.

She said Norway officially ratified ILO Convention 190 in October last year, becoming the 33rd country to do so, and added that the social partners in Norway were proactive in supporting and pushing for the ratification.

She explained that the ratification process involved extensive consultations and hearings, reflecting the country’s dedication to aligning its national laws with the principles of ILO Convention 190.