On 14 March 2025, the Confederation of Mongolian Trade Unions and supporters gathered with placards at the central square in Ulaanbaatar - Sukhbaatar, demanding Mongolia to ratify the International Labour Organization's Convention No. 190 to combat workplace violence and harassment. The protesters emphasized the economic and psychological pressure faced by service sector workers, particularly harassment from clients and supervisors.

Supply-chain Risk Briefing

1) Summary On March 14, 2025, the Mongolian Trade Union Confederation held a peaceful protest at Sukhbaatar Square in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, demanding ratification of ILO Convention 190 for the prevention of violence and harassment in the workplace. Classified as a low-risk protest, it raised issues of economic and psychological pressure on service sector workers.

2) Supply-chain impact

• Mongolia mining sector: Mongolia is a major exporter of copper, coal, and rare earth elements, and pressure to improve working conditions could potentially drive up mining operational costs
• China-Mongolia trade routes: Ulaanbaatar serves as a major logistics hub with China, raising concerns of indirect impact on border trade if labor-related protests spread in the future
• Service sector spillover effects: If demands for improved treatment of logistics and transportation service workers follow, upward pressure on transportation costs is expected
• Policy risk: Ratification of ILO Convention could increase compliance costs for manufacturing and mining companies in Mongolia

3) Watch points

• Need to track whether the Mongolian government ratifies ILO Convention 190 and related labor law amendment trends
• Monitor potential for additional labor-related protests in Ulaanbaatar and major mining regions