The meeting was aimed at union leaders from PSI affiliates in Bolivia, who addressed the PSI agenda on gender issues such as the fight against gender discrimination in union organizing, paid work and the right to care, concepts such as equity, normative equality, substantive equality and gender mainstreaming in the union agenda.

The participants also acquired some educational tools regarding Convention 190 and Recommendation 206 of the International Labor Organization (ILO), specifically they worked on the trade union guide for facilitators and the trade union activity guide on C190 launched by global unions such as PSI, on the day this new right came into force for workers.

Bolivian trade unions and the ratification of C190

"Physical aggression, intimidation, sexual harassment, online abuse, job insecurity and abusive labor practices are the most widespread forms of violence in the world of work and affect millions of workers around the world, and this guide that we will work these days offers important tools for unions to develop their own actions to end violence and harassment, with special attention to gender violence," said Nayareth Quevedo, Subregional Secretary of the Southern Cone and coordinator of the project, at the presentation of the day.

Along the same lines, the president of the Confederación Sindical de Trabajadores Luz y Fuerza, Telecomunicaciones, Aguas y Gas de Bolivia (CSTLFTAGB), where the workshop was held, Rubén Darío Quispe expressed his gratitude for the attendance and the possibility of carrying out a training activity with the affiliates at national level, in order to continue "fighting for environments free of violence and harassment in our country".

During the event - which was facilitated by María Fernanda Villegas, from the Center for Labor Studies (CETRA) - emphasis was placed on the importance of the adoption of ILO Convention 190 and Recommendation 206 on violence and harassment at work, and the need for these regulations not to remain on paper but to be an instrument for preventing and combating harassment and violence at work.

Trade unions were urged to play a crucial role in ensuring their ratification and effective implementation, urging those present to resume campaign strategies for the ratification of C190 and R206 by the Bolivian government and parliament. This was a situation to which the union leaders committed themselves, as they made known in the last part of the day.

It should be recalled that on May 1, Arce announced the sending of a draft bill for the ratification of the agreement, as well as its referral to the Legislative Assembly, but there is still no green light for this important norm that recognizes the right of everyone to a workplace free of violence and harassment, informed the Minister of Labor, Verónica Navia.