The Coalition for a Safe World of Work welcomes the Human Rights Commission and Kantar Public’s report on workers’ experiences of bullying and harassment in the world of work in Aotearoa.

The report highlights the high number of working people who are harmed by sexual or racial harassment, or bullying.

Coalition coordinator Rachel Mackintosh says, "The report paints a worrying picture of how unsafe work is for some people, but it does give us a great base of evidence that ILO Convention 190 is the framework to create a safe world of work."

"Our coalition is calling on the New Zealand Government to ratify the ILO Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (190), to give us a framework for realising the right of all working people to a world of work free from violence and harassment."

"It is time for Aotearoa New Zealand to join the growing number of countries that have ratified the convention."

Xavier Walsh, Co-President of Unite Union and a member of the coalition, speaks of their experience of getting some redress for their experience of harassment at work: "The hardest thing was speaking up … the system didn’t give me the opportunity to speak up … my email had been shared with four people without my consent … ILO convention 190 is the first treaty to recognise the right of all people to be free from violence and harassment. "

Rachel Mackintosh agrees, "Our coalition has a vision of a safe world of work for all people in Aotearoa, regardless of our identities or our work situations. This report shows that we have work to do to realise this vision. When we ratify Convention 190, we will be able to implement the education, cultural and policy initiatives that can address and eliminate violence and harassment."

The Coalition is asking people to sign the petition calling for the Government to ratify Convention 190 at www.safeworldofwork.nz

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