The President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), Michele O’Neil has hailed the Federal Government’s decision to put key Respect@Work report recommendations into legislation.
In a statement carried on the Queensland Together Union’s website, Ms O’Neil said the proposed legislation would ensure that a positive duty was put on employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment at work.
“The duty will also require employers to prevent harassment by third parties such as customers or clients of workers,” Ms O’Neil said.
“This is such an important and long overdue legislative change as sexual harassment at work is rife in Australia with women having a two-in-three chance of experiencing it in a current or former workplace.
She said the ACTU welcomed the current Federal Government’s action in implementing the Respect@Work report’s recommendations after the failure of the previous administration to do so.
“Employers having an obligation to prevent sexual harassment is essential to making workplaces safe for everyone,” Ms O’Neil said.
We will not have gender equality while women are having to leave jobs because they feel unsafe.”
In a statement accompanying Ms O’Neil’s comments Together said the win came after strong campaigning by members of Together and other unions.
“Union members are dedicating to eradicating the scourge of sexual harassment at work,” the Together statement said.
