Government ratifies ILO standard to protect vulnerable employees, including interns, apprentices
The Australian government has made a commitment to eliminate workplace violence and harassment, as well as child labour as it ratified two international treaties in the past weeks.
On June 9, the government deposited the instrument of ratification of the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190).
"This ratification signals Australia's commitment to safe and respectful workplaces for all," said Skills and Training Minister Brendan O'Connor in a statement.
Convention No. 190, the first international labour standard to address violence and harassment, provides an agreed definition on these issues, including gender-based violence.
"This definition protects everyone in the world of work, including interns or apprentices, and persons who exercise the duties or authority of an employer, and covers the public and private sectors, the formal and informal economies, as well as urban and rural areas," the International Labour Organisation (ILO) said in a media release.
For Australia, the ratification of this convention will support the full extension of the 10 days paid family and domestic leave entitlement by September 2024, according to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR).
The government will also be obligated to monitor and enforce national laws and access to dispute resolution mechanisms, as well as protect people who may experience vulnerabilities.
"After actively taking part in the formulation of the Violence and Harassment Convention, Australia is proud to lodge its ratification. Australia takes a zero-tolerance approach to violence and harassment in the workplace," O'Connor said.
"Australia urges all ILO Member States to join us in ratifying this convention and collectively working towards the elimination of all forms of workplace violence and harassment."
Meanwhile, the government also deposited the instrument of ratification of the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) with the ILO director-general Gilbert Houngbo.
O'Connor said the ratification reflects the country's "robust standards" on safe and suitable employment for children.
"As Australia ratifies the Minimum Age Convention, we reaffirm our dedication to the protection of the rights of children, including the right to a quality education. Work should always be safe and never interfere with a child's education," he said.
According to the DEWR, the government will declare 15 years as the minimum age, as the convention allows children under that age to perform light work in certain circumstances.
"Ratification of these two treaties demonstrates the Australian Government's broader commitment to eliminating child labour and workplace violence and harassment not just in Australia, but around the world," the department said in a media release.
Meanwhile, the ILO welcomed Australia's commitments, saying that they demonstrate the country's support for social justice.
"Both instruments are also of paramount importance to the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly SDG 5 on gender equality and SDG 8.7 on the eradication of child labour," the director-general said in a statement.
"I am confident that the ratification by Australia of these landmark ILO instruments will contribute to the achievement of decent work for all."
Australia has now ratified 10 of the 11 fundamental instruments. It is the 28th country, and the second Pacific nation, to ratify Convention No. 190 and the 176th country to ratify Convention No. 138.
