Workers’ rights declined worldwide in 2026, with 72% of 151 countries denying or restricting access to justice, the International Trade Union Confederation said Monday.
The ITUC said authorities in about half of the surveyed countries arrested or detained workers last year. It also found violations of the right to strike in 87% of the countries it examined.
The Brussels-based confederation said collective bargaining faced restrictions in 80% of countries. It has compiled the Global Rights Index since 2014 using criteria based on International Labour Organisation conventions.
ITUC General Secretary Luc Triangle said the crisis for workers’ rights had moved “to the heart of democracies.” He accused governments of failing to protect workers and, in some cases, undermining them.
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The report placed the United States on its watch list, rating it 4 for “systematic violations of rights.” France’s rating fell to three from two.
Argentina and Panama were included in the ITUC’s 10 worst countries for workers’ rights. They joined Belarus, Ecuador, Egypt, Eswatini, Myanmar, Nigeria, Tunisia and Türkiye.
The ITUC said Europe and the Americas recorded their worst average ratings since the index began. It also cited wider use of digital surveillance to monitor and intimidate employees.
