The final conference of the Teamwork - CombaT sExuAl harassment in the WORKplace project brought together trade union representatives, NGO experts, stakeholders from institutes and employers' organizations.
During the meeting, Laura Scalia, a trade union representative from Italy shared her view that there is legislation in the field of protection against sexual harassment in the workplace, but the question is its implementation. She emphasized the need for contracts between trade unions and employers' organizations to implement European directives on the protection of employees.
There are also many cases in which women employers are victims of sexual harassment in the workplace when working in male-dominated areas, said Ioanna Profyri from the Institute of the Hellenic Confederation of Professionals, Craftsmen & Merchants (IME GSEVEE), Greece. She also believes that there is no need for new laws and directives, but for the application of existing ones, even in cases where employees harass their employers.
Other panelists also backed the need for support for the administration and the court in working on such issues.
In the second part of the conference, the 5 partners from Italy, Greece, Spain and Bulgaria shared their successes within the project. Among the greatest achievements in Bulgaria were trainings for employers and employees, because all these people are already informed about their rights. Another achievement of CSCD are the future initiatives which the organization is planning in the fight against sexual harassment in the workplace. They will be implemented in cooperation with other NGOs. Emphasis was also placed on the training materials created within the project, as well as the media outreach of the problem in popular Bulgarian media.
Among the panelists was Ekaterina Yordanova, chairwoman of the Federation of Transport Trade Unions in Bulgaria and main initiator of the campaign to ratify Convention 190 of the International Labor Organization, which will protect the rights of everyone for workplace without violence and harassment, including gender-based violence and harassment.