About 30 trade union leaders from Călărași district strengthened their capacity to prevent and eliminate violence and harassment at work during a training seminar organised by the National Confederation of Trade Unions of Moldova (CNSM) with the support of the International Labour Organization (ILO) on 8 October.

The agenda included discussions on the role and importance of ILO Convention No. 190 on the elimination of violence and harassment at work, forms of discrimination at work, criteria and mechanisms of protection, harassment and its manifestations, types of violence, including gender-based violence, mechanisms of protection against violence and harassment.

In the course of the activity, Lilia Franț, Vice-President of the CNSM, stated that it is important that, by the time ILO Convention No. 190 comes into force (19 March 2025), society is well informed about its provisions and that trade union leaders and activists are trained to participate in the prevention, but also in the elimination of violence and harassment in the world of work.

For her part, Angela Otean, Chair of the Women’s Committee of the CNSM, the national trade union organisation, expressed the hope that such training activities would contribute to raising awareness of the importance of ILO Convention No. 190, preventing and identifying acts of violence and harassment, and developing mechanisms to incorporate policies to prevent and combat violence and harassment at the unit level.

The Mayor of Călărași, Victor Ambroci, who was present at the event, gave a welcome message in which he emphasised his confidence in trade union organisations at the local level and that the development of partnerships could help to achieve results that could benefit the whole community.

Participants emphasised that the issues raised can be resolved through social dialogue, with the joint efforts of trade unions and employers playing a key role in achieving positive changes in the workplace, in line with the provisions and recommendations of ILO Convention No. 190 for the better protection of workers, combating all forms of violence and its effective reporting. 

As a reminder, on 18 June 2002, the CNSM and the ILO launched the Capacity Building Project for Trade Union Leaders and Activists on Eliminating Violence and Harassment at Work. Through this project, the Confederation aimed to train workers’ collectives to recognise and prevent violence and harassment in the world of work. In the first phase of the project, two groups of trade union trainers, including members of the Women’s Commission of the CNSM, were trained, and in the second phase, territorial seminars will be organised with the participation of trade union leaders.

It should be noted that this week, on 11 October, the CNSM and the ILO are organising a training seminar for trade union leaders from the Ocnita district as part of the project “Capacity building of trade union leaders and activists on the elimination of violence and harassment at work”.

These activities are part of the implementation of the ILO Convention No. 190 on the Elimination of Violence and Harassment at Work, ratified by the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova on 29 December 2007. ILO Convention No. 190 is a landmark instrument. It is the first international labour standard to address violence and harassment at work. Together with ILO Recommendation No. 206, it provides a common framework for action and a unique opportunity to shape a future of work based on social justice.

According to a study by the International Labour Organisation, around 18% of the world’s workforce reported experiencing psychological violence and harassment at work, and 8.5% reported experiencing physical violence and harassment.

It should be noted that more useful information on ILO Convention No. 190, including brochures, guides, legislative information and news, can be found on the CNSM website.

 For details please visit: http://sindicate.md/c190/