"ITUC Global Rights Index 2018: Democratic space shrinks and unchecked corporate greed on the rise," 07 June 2018

“Democracy is under attack in countries that fail to guarantee people’s right to organise, speak out and take action. Brazil passed laws that denied freedom of association, China restricted free speech and the military was used to suppress labour disputes in Indonesia,” said Sharan Burrow, General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation.

The ITUC Global Rights Index 2018 ranks 142 countries against 97 internationally recognised indicators to assess where workers’ rights are best protected in law and in practice.

The report’s key findings include:

•  65% of countries exclude some groups of workers from labour law.
•  87% of countries have violated the right to strike.
•  81% of countries deny some or all workers collective bargaining.
•  Out of 142 countries surveyed, 54 deny or constrain free speech and freedom of assembly.
•  The number of countries in which workers are exposed to physical violence and threats increased by 10% (from 59 to 65) and include Bahrain, Honduras, Italy and Pakistan.
•  Countries where workers are arrested and detained increased from 44 in 2017 to 59 in 2018.
•  Trade unionists were murdered in nine countries - Brazil, China, Colombia, Guatemala, Guinea, Mexico, Niger, Nigeria and Tanzania.

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Note: The full ITUC Global Rights Index 2018 report is here.