The ITUC’s Annual Survey of Trade Union Rights has documented a dramatic increase in the number of trade unionists murdered in 2009, with 101 killings – an increase of 30% over the previous years…This…report…records an extensive list of violations suffered by trade unionists struggling to defend workers’ interests…Union busting and pressure continued to be widely used by employers…[C]ompanies threatened workers with closure or transfer of production sites if they organised or joined a trade union…The undermining of internationally-recognised labour standards saw more and more workers facing insecurity and vulnerability in employment…The Survey also highlights many cases where, while trade union rights are officially protected in legislation, restrictions on legal coverage and weak or non-existent enforcement added to the vulnerability of workers…