Global Rights Index 2024

Our key takeaway: The ITUC starts its annual Global Rights Index by saying that the report “makes for difficult reading”—and this is true. Based on this year’s figures, the world is getting worse for workers in virtually every country globally and there has been a decline in scores in every region of the world since the Index started in 2014. The report also reveals that no country is “safe” from violations of workers’ rights; even in regions that have been relatively higher performing like Europe, country and regional scores have been declining steadily over time, leading to dissatisfaction and distrust on the part of workers. The ITUC sees the learnings as “a clear and urgent wake-up call that the future of democracy and fundamental rights agreed by most countries at an international level are at risk.” After all, workers’ rights underpin all other rights in the workplace, from freedom from forced labour to wages to working hours to health and safety to discrimination and harassment, and beyond. So what can companies do? One key action is conducting robust human rights due diligence (HRDD) on your operations and supply chains no matter where you operate or source—there are no “safe countries.” And HRDD needs to go beyond audits to more meaningfully incorporate worker voice and to dig a level below the surface; the importance of strong grievance mechanisms and other worker voice channels can’t be overstated. You can also prioritise workers’ rights with suppliers and business partners, including leaning in to the uncomfortable conversations about collective bargaining and trade union rights. Where these rights are restricted, companies can use leverage with others to reshape the landscape of workers’ rights, for example by advocating against government policies that weaken unions and erode workers’ rights, or by creating collective platforms that amplify worker voice across an industry even where individual workplaces restrict it.

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) published its 2024 Global Rights Index (June 2024):

• Ratings are steadily deteriorating since 2014: ITUC’s annual study rates 169 countries on their performance against fundamental rights at work, with a focus on freedom of association, the right to collective bargaining and the right to strike. Countries receive rankings from 1 (Sporadic violations of rights) to 5 (No guarantee of rights), or 5+ in cases of conflict where there is a breakdown of the rule of law. In 2014, the ten worst countries for workers in the world were Bangladesh, Belarus, Ecuador, Egypt, Eswatini, Guatemala, Myanmar, the Philippines, Tunisia and Türkiye. Thirteen additional countries had their ratings decline since the previous index: Costa Rica, Finland, Israel, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Mexico, Nigeria, Qatar, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Switzerland and Venezuela. Only two countries had improvements this year: Brazil and Romania. Overall, the Middle East and North Africa remained the world’s worst region for workers, with an average rating of 4.74 (increased from 4.53 in 2023 and 4.25 in 2014). However, every region has demonstrated a decline in workers’ rights since the 2014 index. For example, Asia-Pacific is the second-worst region for workers with an average score of 4.13 compared to 4.05 in 2014; Africa scores an average 3.88 in 2024 compared to 3.26 in 2014; the Americas scores 3.56 on average compared to 3.16 in 2014; and Europe—“[i]n contrast to its reputation as the global standard bearer for workers’ rights”—has increased from an average 2.73 from 2.56 in 2014.
  

• Workers’ rights were restricted across the globe: Workers globally faced obstacles to freedom of speech and assembly. For instance, the right to free speech was restricted in 43% of countries and the right to strike was restricted in 87% of countries, for example by prosecuting demonstrators or using violence to break up protests. Workers in 44 countries experienced physical violence and 22 trade unionists and workers were killed in six countries: Bangladesh, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, the Philippines, and the Republic of Korea. Overall, the Americas demonstrated the most violence, with 16 workers murdered in Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras. Governments and companies also suppressed trade union rights in every region. Workers were denied the right to establish or join a trade union in 75% of countries and 74% of countries limited the registration of trade unions. Workers and trade unions also had no or restricted access to justice in 65% of countries.
  

• “Democracy hangs in the balance”: The erosion of democracy and of workers’ rights is happening in parallel. The report highlights a dual trend of decreasing democratisation and increased restrictions and violations of workers’ rights around the world. The ITUC highlights the overlap between indicators of democracy and of workers’ rights, like freedom of speech and assembly, access to justice and the right not to be arbitrarily detained. It also points out that, as “repeated calls for fair wages and conditions going unheard and governments taking a wrecking ball to the right to strike and collective bargaining, workers’ faith in democracy is crumbling.” In a year where a majority of countries are participating in national elections, the ITUC sees a clear risk to workers’ rights and more broadly, to human rights, caused by rising authoritarianism.