Global pact to fight workplace violence and harassment debated over LGBT+ inclusion

GENEVA, May 29 (Reuters) - A global treaty aimed at protecting workers from violence and harassment is expected to be agreed next month, though some "tricky" issues remain, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said on Wednesday.

The unresolved issues are focused on the extent to which employers should be held responsible for such behaviour and on whether to include specific reference to protecting LGBTi people, ILO director-general Guy Ryder said.

African states in particular are opposed to including LGBTi (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex) people among groups deemed vulnerable to violence or harassment in the workplace, sources close to the talks told Reuters.

The U.N. labour agency, which will hold its centenary annual conference on June 10-21, began negotiations on the treaty a year ago as the #MeToo global movement against sexual harassment shone a spotlight on the issue.

"In the light of the progress previously made, in light of the importance of the subject matter, I am very confident that the conference will adopt a convention and recommendation," Ryder told a news briefing hosted by ACANU, the U.N. correspondents' association in Geneva. Employers say the proposed definitions of violence and harassment are "too vague", Ryder said. "And there is a major debate about whether LGBTi should be listed specifically and explicitly," he said. Read more via Reuters