C190 Resources
The promising practices on ILO Convention 190 (C190) and Recommendation 206 (R206) led by an organization (governments, civil society organizations, unions and other/or stakeholders) can broadly fall under either of the three categories: a) Ratification; b) Implementation with ratification and; c) Integration without ratification.
The type and nature of the practice can vary according to the outcome of the initiative and can encompass the following: a)Advocacy, campaigning and lobbying with key decision-makers; b) Public awareness/media; c)Awareness raising and training of workers, union leaders and employers; d)Coalition building and partnerships; e) Research, data collection and documenting workers’ stories; f)Enforcement of existing policies and laws at national, local, regional and at the workplace levels; g) Negotiation of workplace policies/Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs)/ Enforceable Brand Agreements (EBAs)/Global Framework Agreements (GFAs) aligned with C190/R206; h) Internal policy alignment (Unions/Civil Society Organizations); i) Direct support services to workers for redress and remedies and others.
Africa Recruitment Practices: How we do it: In this booklet we share the good practices domestic workers in Africa have developed to grow and build their unions. The booklet focuses on the first stage of organization building, reaching out to domestic workers and bringing them into the union- referred to as recruiting members. Since 2009, African affiliates’ membership has increased by between 50% and 100% yearly.
La Campaña de la CSA por la Ratificación e Implementación del C190 y su R206 tiene como finalidad potenciar la organización sindical brindando acompañamiento y seguimiento tanto a los países que han logrado la ratificación como a aquellos que aún no lo han ratificado. En relación con la implementación, busca promover el análisis de las legislaciones nacionales para ajustar la misma con lo dispuesto por el C190. Asimismo, potencia la formación y sensibilización sobre el convenio a través de intercambios de experiencias entre la clase trabajadora de la región de las Américas para profundizar en la debida implementación a través de la negociación colectiva.
The TUCA Campaign for the Ratification and Implementation of C190 and its R206 aims to strengthen trade union organizations by providing support and follow-up to both countries that have achieved ratification and those that have not yet ratified it. In relation to implementation, it seeks to promote the analysis of national legislation to align it with the provisions of C190. It also promotes training and awareness about the convention through exchanges of experiences among the working class of the Americas region to deepen proper implementation through collective bargaining.
COSATU in partnership with the Belgium development cooperation program developed a good practice on key elements of COSATU’s campaign towards the ratification of C190 in South-Africa.
To advance ratification and implementation the ILO Convention 190 (C190) and Recommendation 206 (R.206), COSATU invested in the development of a number of instruments to strengthen their own organisational capacity in the fight against Gender Based Violence (GBV):
COSATU did not wait for C190 ratification to take effect but they built out a parallel capacity building process with training to support their campaigns. Following the ratification of C190 at the end of 2021, COSATU worked together with various actors, amongst the Belgium Trade Union, CGSLB’s solidarity support centre, Movement for International Solidarity (MIS) to roll activities to build capacity on the fight against GBVH in the world of work.
In September 2024, the Senate passed the Costs Protection Bill, which will make it easier for victim-survivors of workplace sexual harassment to pursue legal action against perpetrators. The bill removes one of the main deterrents that victim-survivors face when considering court action – the risk of being burdened with the other side’s legal costs, which can result in significant debt or bankruptcy. Under the Bill’s new ‘equal access’ costs model, workers can assert their rights in federal courts, without fearing hefty costs. It will mainly affect low-income and vulnerable workers who experience sexual harassment and discrimination.
This leadership school for domestic workers is a collaboration between the International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF), the Confederation of Latin American and Caribbean Domestic Workers (CONLACTRAHO), Generative Somatics, and the Solidarity Center. The program has already trained 120 new leaders, which led to IDWF affiliates in the region recruiting 14,445 new members —including 400 migrant domestic workers— and to 75% of these organizations participating in intersectoral roundtables for the implementation of C189 and the enforcement of legal protections for the sector.
The Women Workers’ Agenda was drafted by the Women Workers United (WWU), a network of women’s committees of trade union centers and women workers’ organizations in the Philippines. It is a comprehensive labor agenda of, for, and by women workers that en-gendered the 15-Point Labor Agenda of the Philippine trade unions. It embodies crucial steps towards gender equality, decent work & social justice. It was launched on November 22, 2024 with support from the ILO. Agenda 7 of the Women Workers’ Agenda focuses on achieving gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls, and the LGBTQIA+ community, gender discrimination, gender-based violence and gendered distribution of unpaid care work. It includes recommendations on the implementation of ILO C190 at the national legislation, executive, and workplace levels.
La Campaña de la CSA por la Ratificación e Implementación del C190 y su R206 tiene como finalidad potenciar la organización sindical brindando acompañamiento y seguimiento tanto a los países que han logrado la ratificación como a aquellos que aún no lo han ratificado. En relación con la implementación, busca promover el análisis de las legislaciones nacionales para ajustar la misma con lo dispuesto por el C190. Asimismo, potencia la formación y sensibilización sobre el convenio a través de intercambios de experiencias entre la clase trabajadora de la región de las Américas para profundizar en la debida implementación a través de la negociación colectiva.
COSATU drafted in 2022 a GBVH Framework Strategy aligned with C190/R206 components to assist their affiliates to implement the C190
The company agrees to collaborate and apply the principles established in the Convention 190 throughout its activities and in all those countries in which the company is present. It includes the obligation to establish procedures to handle complaints and investigations, the protection of confidentiality and the adoption of measures to protect workers from violence and harassment.
The coalition of Latin American agriculture unions in the Coordinating Body of Latin American Banana and Agro-industrial Unions (COLSIBA) has been bringing together unions from Colombia to Guatemala to build power for workers at major multinational agricultural companies in the region like Del Monte, Dole, Fyffes, and Chiquita. Women union leaders have created programs and led organizing campaigns that specifically identify issues women agricultural workers face and have developed contract language to address them. As a result of this organizing over decades, dozens of clauses have been included in collective bargaining agreements that specifically prohibit GBVH and address issues women farmworkers have identified. GLJ, in partnership with COLSIBA affiliate unions, is developing a project that gathers best practices on organizing around gender and GBVH from unions across the world, strengthens women workers’ leadership, and co-develop corporate supply chain campaigns that include demands for implementation of C190 principles and remediation of GBVH more broadly in the Americas.
This agreement endorses the principles set out by Convention 190, in particular the right of any person to a world of work free of any form of violence and psychological or sexual harassment, including in a digital context or one of remote working.
This agreement includes amongst its clauses the compromise of the company to provide a working environment that is respectful and dignified, including one that is free from violence and harassment. The company undertakes the responsibility to prevent and combat any form of violence and moral and/or sexual, physical and/or mental harassment, including in a digital and/or remote working context, following the principles set out by Convention 190.
The Dindigul Agreement to Eliminate Gender-Based Violence and Harassment is a breakthrough supply chain agreement resulting from engagement involving global brands [H&M Group, Gap Inc., PVH Corp.], supplier [Eastman Exports], Union [Tamil Nadu Textile and Common Labour Union (TTCU)] and US/regional allies [Global Labor Justice (GLJ), and Asia Floor Wage Alliance (AFWA)]. In the two years since signing, it has shown the power of collective bargaining and Freedom of Association (FOA) in securing worker rights and has been highly effective in addressing GBVH. The agreement goes beyond the factory floors, with the grievance redressal system extending to cover transportation and worker hostels. This has led to enhanced trust between the women workers and management, building on the solidarity fostered by the agreement. Despite India not ratifying ILO Convention 190 (C190), the Dindigul Agreement incorporates key C190 frameworks, such as extending protections against gender-based violence and harassment to the broader ‘world of work,’ including factories, hostels, and transport at Natchi Apparels (Eastman-run factory).
It is the first UNI Global Framework Agreement to include amongst its clauses that the multinational company engages to work according to the guidelines set by the ILO Convention 190. This agreement was adopted just days after the adoption of the Convention.
Specific elements of the enforceable brand agreement contributing to its effectiveness include the involvement of workers and their representatives (unions) in directly negotiating terms with the manufacturer; the inclusion of brands and brands contributing the necessary funds, in recognition of their responsibility to addressing GBVH in their supply chain; an independent body was set up to investigate reports and determine resolutions; comprehensive education was required for all workers at all levels on GBVH and the agreement’s provisions; and definitions and language directly taken from C190. In addition, these terms were negotiated based on data collected on the actual experiences of workers. The EBA has contributed to changes in behavior as awareness of what constitutes GBVH and what consequences could be faced has increased. The independent body, Worker Rights Watch, has received over 600 reports and resolved over 150 of them with resolutions including suspensions, demotions, and terminations. Timely and appropriate resolutions has encouraged more reporting. The EBA has received a lot of attention, spreading awareness about GBVH and encouraging both the government and other employers to take action to address GBVH beyond factories covered by the EBA, including ratification of C190.
The Safe Circle Approach, embedded within the Dindigul Agreement, has been instrumental in transforming garment factory workplaces. This bottom-up model engages workers, including potential victims, bystanders, and perpetrators, in small-group discussions to address behavioral violence on production lines. A key element is the inclusion of worker-led Shop Floor Monitors, who play a vital role in leadership development, problem-solving, and negotiation, strengthening worker empowerment and collective voice. The Dindigul Agreement integrates the Safe Circle Approach with unionization and has established an independent grievance mechanism trusted by workers, promoting dialogue between union members and management to resolve issues before escalation. It is supported by fashion brands that are obligated to enforce these mechanisms. The Safe Circle Approach encompasses GBVH remediation and access to FOA, as outlined in ILO C190. The initiative has led to improved management capacity, behavioral change, and a culture shift toward accountability. Additionally, it addresses caste and migration status-based discrimination, strengthens worker representation, and enhances workplace safety. The inclusion of freedom of association ensures workers’ rights to unionize, contributing to an overall positive transformation of the industry. This approach has yielded remarkable outcomes in both the first and second years.
After the WRC exposed systemic gender-based violence and harassment at the Lesotho factories of Nien Hsing, a major global producer of denim clothing, a set of landmark agreements were negotiated among leading apparel brands, a coalition of labor unions representing workers at the factories and women’s rights advocates, and Nien Hsing. These binding agreements created a powerful and unprecedented mechanism to enable workers to bring complaints of gender-based violence and harassment to independent outside investigators with the power to punish harassers.
The eight good practices in this report demonstrate successful initiatives to combat child labour in India and Nepal; to establish strong and sustainable domestic workers organizations in the form of trade unions, cooperatives or associations in Indonesia, the Philippines and the Republic of Korea; on skills development and organizing in Hong Kong, China, and on the global online IDWF communication network.
The U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau and the International Labour Organization (ILO) Office for the United States and Canada, with support from the Department of Labor’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to uplift the principles of Convention 190 in the United States and end gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) in the world of work. In addition to addressing and preventing GBVH in the world of work, this partnership aims to strengthen care infrastructure by uplifting international best practices in U.S. policy and programs, while also elevating U.S. domestic initiatives and progress in global meetings and exchanges.
Cette pratique visait à promouvoir la mise en œuvre de la Convention 190 par le biais de campagnes de sensibilisation, de formations pour les employeurs et les employés, et de collaborations avec les syndicats. Elle a permis une meilleure compréhension des droits des travailleurs, une réduction des cas signalés de harcèlement en milieu professionnel et l’élaboration de politiques internes conformes à la C190. En collaboration avec des parties prenantes clés (ITF/UGTCI/ SUTRAPAA)
This practice aimed to promote the implementation of Convention 190 through awareness campaigns, training for employers and employees, and collaborations with trade unions. It led to a better understanding of workers’ rights, a reduction in reported cases of harassment in the workplace and the development of internal policies in line with C190. In collaboration with key stakeholders (ITF/UGTCI/SUTRAPAA)
Many of the collective agreements that the Histadrut negotiates relate to sexual harassment prevention and punishment. This is to reinforce the criminal act implemented in Israel in 1998. It is additionally intended to implement the principles of C190 in the Israeli economy. A recent example is the collective agreement of the Open University in Tel Aviv, signed on March 5, 2024. Clause 68 details sexual harassment and/or sexual violence, which is a felony, as a serious offence which is considered grounds for dismissal.
The U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau and the International Labour Organization (ILO) Office for the United States and Canada, with support from the Department of Labor’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to uplift the principles of Convention 190 in the United States and end gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) in the world of work. In addition to addressing and preventing GBVH in the world of work, this partnership aims to strengthen care infrastructure by uplifting international best practices in U.S. policy and programs, while also elevating U.S. domestic initiatives and progress in global meetings and exchanges.