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AI, Unfiltered & Uncensored: Global Workers' Rights in Crisis
Holy sh*, the labor landscape across the globe's in a free fall! The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) dropped a bombshell on Monday, exposing a profound deterioration in workers' rights worldwide with attempts to hobble collective bargaining and assaults on union representatives.
The annual rights index published by the ITUC painted a grim picture, based on 97 indicators established by the United Nations and international treaties. The report evaluated workers' rights in 151 countries, showing a distinct decline, particularly in Europe and the Americas - the worst results for both regions since the index was launched in 2014.
In brief, 87% of countries disregarded the right to strike, and 80% breached the right to collective bargaining, the ITUC claimed.
"Bloody hell, the right to collectively bargain was restricted in 80% of countries (121)," the ITUC declared. In France, for instance, "damn near four out of ten collective agreements were shoved down workers' throats unilaterally by bosses, sans union representation".
The report further mentioned "persecution" against union leaders, with more than 1,000 union leaders and members of the Confederation générale du travail (CGT) facing criminal charges and disciplinary actions in France for their roles in mass protests against pension reforms.
Global Collapse
The ITUC assigns a maximum score of one and a minimum score of five for respect for workers' rights, such as the right to strike, demonstrate, and participate in negotiations. This year, only seven countries - including Germany, Sweden, and Norway - were awarded the maximum score, compared to 18 a decade ago. Italy and Argentina saw their scores drop in 2025.
"If this downward trend persists, in ten years, there'll be no bastion of hope left on the planet with the highest rating for workers' rights," ITUC head Luc Triangle warned in a statement.
In 2025, Europe experienced the sharpest decline of any region worldwide over the last ten years. The ITUC also reported that trade unionists or workers were killed in five countries: South Africa, Cameroon, Colombia, Guatemala, and Peru. Nigeria joined the list of the 10 worst countries for workers' rights for the first time.
On the bright side, only a handful of countries saw improvements in workers' rights. Reforms boosted trade union rights in Australia, while in Mexico, labor law changes improved access to justice for workers.
"The international law regarding workers' rights is under immense pressure as the ITUC's annual report reveals a distressing decline in these rights across 151 countries, with 80% of countries breaching the right to collective bargaining."
"In light of the ITUC's findings, the global news sector should highlight the deterioration in workers' rights, particularly in Europe and the Americas, and the escalating incidents of persecution against union leaders, as these issues form a significant aspect of general news and politics."
