By Joan Nwagwu
The Federal Government says it has signed the Instrument of Ratification for the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention No.190 aimed to eliminate violence and harassment in the workplace.
Ms Kachollom Daju, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, said this at the opening of a two-day workshop, organised for Professional Officers in the Northern Geo-Political Zones on Thursday in Abuja.
The workshop was tagged, “Regional Sensitisation Workshop on ILO Convention No. 190 on Violence and Harassment and Eliminating Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the workplace.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Convention No.190 (C190) is the first international treaty to recognised the right of everyone to a world of work free from violence and harassment, including gender-based violence and harassment.
The Convention was adopted in June 2019, by the International Labour Conference of the ILO and came into force on June 25, 2021.
It also said that governments that ratified the C190 would be required to put in place the necessary laws and policy measures to prevent and address violence and harassment in the world of work.
The Convention represents a historic opportunity to shape a future of work, based on dignity and respect for all.
The permanent secretary said that President Muhammadu Buhari, had signed the Instrument for ILO Convention No.190 on Violence and Harassment.
According to her, the document is set to be deposited with the Director General of the ILO by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
“Nigeria is the fourth country in Africa and the eighth in the world to ratify the Convention.
“The ministry has already inserted prohibitions on violence and harassment, including sexual harassment in the just concluded review of the National Labour Bills.
“The ratification comes with an enormous responsibility and reporting obligation for Nigeria, ’’ she said.
Daju, however, called on labour officers in the states to ensure the implementation, intercept and intervene in all cases of violence and harassment, and other related unfair labour practices in all workplaces after the convention is domesticated.
The permanent secretary therefore, charged the labour officers to do their jobs diligently as the ministry would be depending on them to generate and gather data for the purpose.
According to Daju, the data will be used to develop a comprehensive First Report of Nigeria’s implementation of the Convention to the ILO when the time comes.
She commended ILO for providing the technical support for the workshop, and for its support in ensuring that Nigeria’s Labour Administration System operated in line with international best practice.
Earlier, Mrs Juliana Adebambo, Director, Productivity Measurement and Labour Standards, said the ministry, with the technical support from the ILO, had convened a series of preliminary activities across the six geo-political zones in the country.
Adebambo said this was to facilitate wide spread and acceptance of the Convention in Nigeria.(NAN)
