TST asks government to approve convention on workplace harassment

Emmanoel Pereira, president of the Supreme Labor Court (TST), forwarded Brazil’s proposal to ratify Convention 190 of the International Labor Organization (ILO) to President Jair Bolsonaro at Palácio do Planalto today (6). The Convention includes measures against harassment and violence in the labor market. In March, court ministers approved a motion supporting the rule.

“The President will examine our request for Brazil to become a party to Convention 190. He will forward our proposal to the competent bodies related to the Organs, such as the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to the results. Pereira told reporters after meeting with Bolsonaro, “They can make a decision from these studies. But he said he was very sensitive to the proposal approved by the Supreme Labor Court.”

Convention 190 is the first international agreement to set legal standards for violence and harassment in the world of work, including gender-based violence and sexual harassment. Issues integrating less-addressed forms of abuse, such as organizational harassment, are also addressed. According to the ILO, workplace violence and harassment can take many forms and cause physical, psychological, sexual and economic harm to victims.

The rule specifies that the prohibition of violence and harassment must be incorporated into law in signatory states. It also highlights the need for companies to have tools to identify fraud, as well as to develop training that leads to the development of internal actions to transform the work environment into a healthier space.

The Convention on the Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the Working World, called the 190th Convention, was adopted at the International Conference in June 2019 and entered into force a year later, in June 2021. About 10 countries have already ratified the Convention. Text incorporating the Convention into national legislation. Informing TST, TST was informed that the governments of signatory countries are responsible for monitoring victims, providing legal support to victims, providing sanctions and promoting social awareness on this issue.

In Brazil, the federal government is responsible for initiating the contract internalization process. After the bodies have been analyzed by their authorized bodies, the convention is then sent to the National Congress for approval by the Executive Branch. There is no deadline for this to happen.