Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Honduras, India, Kazakhstan, Philippines, Turkey and Zimbabwe are the ten worst countries for working people in 2020 based on the issued by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
The report also said that the Middle East and North Africa, for the last seven years, is the worst region in the world for working people. ITUC pointed to the ongoing insecurity and conflict in Palestine, Syria, Yemen and Libya, coupled with the most regressive region for workers’ representation and union rights.
ITUC said that the report observed an increasing trend on the part of governments and employers to restrict workers’ rights such as by violating collective bargaining, excluding from and depriving workers of unions, and not recognizing the right to strike.
Another new trend identified shows cases of governments’ surveillance of trade union leaders in an attempt to harass and intimidate unions and their members.
The seventh edition of the ITUC Global Rights Index ranks 144 countries on the degree of respect for workers’ rights. Key findings include:
85 per cent of countries violated the right to strike.
80 per cent of countries violated the right to collectively bargain.
The number of countries that impeded the registration of unions has increased.
Three new countries entered the list of ten worst countries for workers (Egypt, Honduras, India)
The number of countries that denied or constrained freedom of speech increased from 54 in 2019 to 56 in 2020.
Workers were exposed to violence in 51 countries.
Workers had no or restricted access to justice in 72 per cent of countries.
Workers experienced arbitrary arrests and detention in 61 countries.
Source: ITUC BWI