Global unions launch toolkit to support LGBTQI+ workers under ILO C190
22.01.24
This week global union federations (GUFs), including UNI Global Union, are launching a comprehensive Toolkit for LGBTQI+ workers. This initiative alongside ILO Convention 190 represents an important step forward towards promoting workplace equality and safety.
ILO Convention 190 was the first international treaty to acknowledge the right of every individual to a work environment free from violence and harassment, including gender-based violence. Together with Recommendation 206, it a fundamental instrument to providing a safer and more respectful workplaces around the world.
The newly launched toolkit specifically targets violence and harassment against the LGBTQI+ community and it comprises two essential resources: the LGBTQI+ Facilitator Guide and the LGBTQI+ Participant Workbook.
The LGBTQI+ Facilitator Guide serves as a valuable tool for educators and facilitators, offering three modules with diverse activities designed to enhance understanding of violence and harassment against LGBTQI+ workers. Beyond raising awareness, the guide aims to provoke meaningful discussions and proactive measures within unions and workplaces. Its structured approach caters to different knowledge levels, ensuring accessibility and effectiveness across a broad audience.
Complementing the facilitator guide, the LGBTQI+ Participant Workbook acts as a resource for trade union members, LGBTQI+ workers, and activists. Also divided into three main modules—raising awareness, taking action in the workplace, and union-based actions—the workbook incorporates activities focusing on understanding the challenges of LGBTQI+ workers, the impact of violence and harassment, and practical strategies to address these issues through union strength and collective action.
“This toolkit emphasizes our commitment to promoting ILO Convention 190, and underlines the pivotal role unions play in ensuring the ratification and implementation of C190 into national legislation and collective agreements,” said Veronica Fernández Méndez. “Through these resources we aim to empower unions and their members to advocate globally for the rights of LGBTQI+ workers and to ensure that the principles of C190 are actively integrated into workplaces.”
The toolkit represents a pivotal step towards a world where all workers, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or ethnicity, can work free from fear and discrimination.
