The 2024 ITUC Global Rights Index is a scientific ecosystem that surveys the state of workers’ rights across the world.  This is an annual review for the eleventh time of benchmarking the most serious gaps and barriers in regions and countries for workers defending their rights.  This scale rates countries from 1 to 5+.  A bad rating is for countries with the worst violations, showing the least respect for workers’ rights.

The 2024 report underlines an alarming rise in government and companies attacks on basic human rights – a development that will ultimately endanger democracy and the rule of law.

2024 Ratings Overview

The Global Rights Index rates countries in six different ratings covering the extent of workers’ rights violations.

• Sporadic Violations of Rights (Rating 1): Collective labour rights are generally ensured and only violated in an isolated manner.

• Repeated Violations of Rights (Rating 2): Certain rights are repeatedly violated, which undermines the contest for better working conditions.

• Regular Violations of Rights (Rating 3): Governments and companies frequently intervene or fail to ensure collective labour rights, thus regularly facilitating the violation of these rights.

• Systematic Violations of Rights (Rating 4): Systematic actions by governments and companies to undermine their workforce’s collective voice.

• No Guarantee of Right (Rating 5): Countries where the legislation exists but is not implemented, leaving workers without any guarantee against unfair labour practices.

• No Guarantee of Rights Due to Breakdown of the Rule of Law (Rating 5+): The same as Rating 5 but combined with internal conflict and/or military occupation causing institutional collapse.

Rising Violations and Government Failures

Dire choices, such as whether to feed or clothe their children, are increasingly being forced upon workers around the world, who are let down by their governments and leaders.  Amid the cost-of-living crisis and squeezed incomes, policymakers and business leaders are restricting workers’ rights to demand fair wages or legally strike.  As these rights are eroded, so too is faith in democracy, enabling authoritarian leaders to exploit the situation for further anti-worker agendas.

Key Highlights – 2024

• The right to free speech and assembly was constrained in 43% of countries, up from 42% in 2023.
• 74% of countries hindered the registration of trade unions, up from 73% in 2023.
• Workers were detained or arrested in 74 countries, up from 69 in 2023.
• The right to strike was violated in 87% of countries, unchanged from 2023.
• Workers were denied the right to establish or join a trade union in 75% of countries, a slight improvement from 2023, when 77% were excluded from that basic right.
• 79% of countries violated the right to collective bargaining – no change since 2023.
• 65% of countries had no or restricted access to justice for workers – again, no change since 2023.
• Some type of violent attack against workers occurred in 44 countries.

Regional Highlights

Middle East and North Africa (MENA)

The MENA region still remains the worst region in the world in terms of workers’ rights, with a regional average rating of 4.74.  Countries have excluded workers from trade unions, violated collective bargaining principles, and impeded union registration.  Conflict and problems relating to the rule of law have paralysed the region against fundamental labour rights.

Asia-Pacific

The Asia-Pacific region still remains the second worst in workers’ rights with an average score of 4.13.  Nine out of 10 countries exclude workers from trade unions, deny the right to strike, and obstruct the registration of unions.  Union leaders are persecuted and harassed while Cambodia, Iran, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Korea focus on crushing unions.  Indonesia’s Omnibus Law strips workers of minimum wage protection, and in Afghanistan, there is a humanitarian crisis affecting workers’ welfare.  The worst toll is taken on youth and women workers, with an absolute ban on women working.

Africa

The workers and unions in Africa remained unaffected, at an average rating of 3.88 in 2023.  More than 90% of countries excluded workers out of the right to establish or join a trade union, contravening freedoms of collective bargaining and the right to strike.  Madagascar, Nigeria, and Sudan are amongst those seeing deteriorating ratings.  In the informal sectors, which means economic activities that are not regulated or protected by the state, including jobs that are not taxed and not monitored by any form of government, workers were excluded out of labour protections and could not form or join trade unions.  Union busting, threats, and police attacks took place in Guinea, Madagascar, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Kenya, and South Africa.  Coups by Western African countries have also stretched their adverse impact on trade union activities and civil liberties.

Americas

The Americas continued to be the deadliest region for workers and unionists, with 16 killings documented in 2023 – 2024.  Nearly 90% of the countries violated the right to strike and hindered trade union registration.  Under Lula administration, Brazil’s rating improved, while Costa Rica, Mexico, and Venezuela worsened.   Death threats, attacks, and targeted assassinations were carried out on trade unionists in Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama, Mexico, Panama, and Venezuela.  In the US, big gains were secured by workers and unions, such as wage hikes and Detroit automakers’ concessions.

Europe

The average rating for the countries of Europe has deteriorated from 2.56 to 2.73 over the last year, with an intensification of efforts aimed at dismantling social democracy and undermining the right to strike and protest.  Either way, the dismantling of the European “worker-centric” social model, in which governments and businesses are actively involved, has serious implications for workers in the region and risks triggering a global race to the bottom.  Countries with worsened ratings include Finland, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation, Switzerland, and Romania.  Among the factors contributing to these downgrades are criminalisation of strikes, stigmatisation of strikers, and creation of yellow unions (worker organisations which are dominated or unduly influenced by employers and are therefore not an independent trade unions) to frustrate independent workers’ representation.

The 10 Worst Countries for Workers in 2024

It lists the following as the worst countries for workers: Bangladesh, Belarus, Ecuador, Egypt, Eswatini, Guatemala, Myanmar, Philippines, Tunisia, and Türkiye.  In these countries, governments and employers have been seen to be in severe violation of internationally recognised workers’ rights.

Conclusion

The report alerts that democracy and fundamental rights agreed upon by most countries are at risk due to relentless attack on civil liberties and the interests of working people.  These are further compounded by the conflicts in Haiti, Israel, Palestine, Russia, Sudan, Ukraine, and Yemen, which exacerbate a cost-of-living crisis and technological disruption.   The ITUC’s For Democracy campaign is an initiative aimed at defending democracy against right-wing interests seeking to undermine workers’ freedoms and basic human rights.   In that respect, the report pays homage to these heroes – workers and trade unionists – who daily face dangers in an attempt to improve the lives of fellow colleagues and to defend democratic rights.

How Trustnet.Trade Can Help

Trustnet.Trade helps address violations of workers’ rights by ensuring compliance with internationally applicable standards on employees’ rights and safety.  Through detailed online risk analysis for suppliers, optionally supported by tailor-made questionnaires, the platform identifies potential risks and recommends audits and mitigation strategies. Trustnet.Trade also offers grievance mechanism (whistleblowing tool) that allows staff, suppliers, customers and communities to confidentially report compliance violations online and stay anonymous.  Also, companies can book directly Social Due Diligence Audits globally with one click.  With Trustnet.Trade, your company can proactively address violations and uphold workers’ rights effectively.