WORKERS’ rights are collapsing across the globe at an unprecedented pace, had said the 2025 ITUC Global Rights Index, painting a devastating picture of deteriorating labour conditions, weakened democracies, and a deliberate rigging of the global economy against working people.
Released June 2, by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) to coincide with the opening of the International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva, the Index warned of a world inching dangerously closer to erasing the fundamental rights that underpin decent work and social justice.
With the release of the 2025 Index, the ITUC sent a strong message to governments and international institutions: “If this pace of decline continues, in ten years there will be no country left in the world with the highest rating for its respect for workers’ rights.”
According to the report, Europe and the Americas, once considered bastions of democratic labour protections, have hit their worst scores since the Index began in 2014. Europe, in particular, has seen the sharpest deterioration globally, with its score plummeting from 1.84 in 2014 to a troubling 2.78 today. Across all continents, the trend is the same—an accelerating breakdown of rights, protections, and the very principles of collective bargaining and strike action that have safeguarded working people for decades.
“This is a global scandal, but it is not unavoidable; it is a deliberate decision that can be reversed,” declared ITUC General Secretary Luc Triangle. He blamed decades of deregulation, neoliberal economic policies, and political neglect for engineering a systemic collapse that has left millions of workers disenfranchised and vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.
The Index reveals that fewer than 5% of the 151 countries surveyed now hold a top-tier rating of 1, with only seven countries meeting the standard for full respect of workers’ rights. This is a dramatic decline from the 18 countries that held the same rating just ten years ago. Conversely, 51 countries—nearly one in three—have received the worst possible ratings of 5 and 5+, including Nigeria, which appears for the first time among the ten worst countries for workers in 2025.
The report cites alarming examples: widespread violations of the right to strike in 87 per cent of countries, and suppression of collective bargaining in 80%. In 72% of countries, workers’ access to justice has been restricted—the highest level of judicial erosion ever recorded by the Index. The right to form or join a union has been denied or obstructed in three out of four countries, while union registration has been impeded in nearly as many. In at least 40 countries, workers were subjected to violence, and arrests and detentions occurred in 71.
Among the gravest findings are the deaths of trade unionists in Cameroon, Colombia, Guatemala, Peru, and South Africa—tragedies that underscore the dangerous environment faced by union leaders and organisers. In countries plagued by armed conflict and institutional collapse, such as Syria, Yemen, South Sudan, and Myanmar, the situation has become so dire that they now carry the Index’s lowest-possible 5+ rating.
“This is the outcome of the betrayal of the system built after World War Two, founded on democracy, trade union rights and justice,” Triangle stated. “Governments have collaborated in decades of deregulation, neoliberalism, and neglect, leading to the collapse of workers’ rights. This has disenfranchised millions and paved the way for extremism, authoritarianism, and the billionaire coup against democracy that now threatens democracy itself.”
Amid this bleak landscape, there are faint signs of resistance and resilience. Only three countries—Australia, Mexico, and Oman—have seen their ratings improve in 2025. But the global union movement is determined to reverse the tide. The ITUC is calling for a renewed commitment to democratic principles and strong, independent unions that can reclaim power for working people and rebuild economies that prioritise people over profits.
“Together, through strong, independent unions and a democracy that delivers for all, we can reclaim power, rebuild economies that serve people, not corporations, and demand international institutions that are accountable to those they were created to protect,” said Triangle. “Our movement is fighting every day for this future — and next year’s Index must show the beginning of real change.”
The urgency of the findings will resonate through a dedicated session at the ILC on June 10, where trade union representatives from some of the worst-performing countries will share firsthand testimonies. Their voices will add to the growing call for global accountability, legal enforcement, and structural transformation to restore dignity to the world of work.
The 2025 ITUC Global Rights Index is usually a warning, a rallying cry, and a demand for immediate action. As the ILC opens its doors to debate the future of work, the world must confront the hard truth: workers’ rights are under siege, but this assault can—and must—be stopped.
READ ALSO: The global wage crisis: Why workers’ struggles are far from over —ITUC Chief Economist
and then