ITUC index flags rise in attacks on workers South Africa among countries named

The International Trade Union Confederation’s (ITUC) 2026 Global Rights Index has identified South Africa as one of the countries where attacks on workers increased, the organisation said in its annual report assessing workers’ rights in 151 countries.

Key findings from the 2026 Global Rights Index

The index, compiled using 97 indicators based on International Labour Organisation conventions and jurisprudence, placed South Africa in a category for nations where governments or employers regularly interfere with collective labour rights. The report highlighted a global deterioration in labour protections and rising restrictions on organising.

Among the figures published in the report:

• Workers experienced violence in 32% of countries during 2026, up from 26% the previous year.
• 72% of countries were found to deny workers access to justice.
• Half of all countries arrested or detained workers during the reporting period.
• Violations of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly increased by 5%, now reported in half of the countries assessed.
• The report found that three out of four countries restrict workers’ ability to organise and that civil liberties violations increased by 3%.

Countries singled out alongside South Africa

South Africa was listed among countries where attacks on workers increased alongside India, Palestine and Ukraine. The ITUC also named the 10 worst countries for workers’ rights in 2026 as: Argentina, Belarus, Ecuador, Egypt, Eswatini, Myanmar, Nigeria, Panama, Tunisia and Türkiye.

Trends driving the decline in labour rights

The ITUC identified three key trends behind the global decline in labour rights: the targeting of trade union leaders through arrests, violence and criminalisation; the growing use of digital surveillance to monitor and discipline workers; and governments increasingly excluding unions from labour law reform processes.

Warnings from ITUC leadership

ITUC General Secretary Luc Triangle warned the erosion of workers’ rights was now affecting democratic institutions. He said:

“The 2026 Global Rights Index shows that the crisis for workers’ rights is no longer confined to the margins. It is now at the heart of democracies. Governments are failing to protect working people, and in many cases are actively undermining them.”

Triangle added that attacks on labour rights increasingly reflected broader assaults on democratic freedoms and noted that workers and unions were fighting back. He said:

“The struggle for workers’ rights is the fight for democracy itself, for our rights, our safety and our livelihoods. Without strong unions, there can be no real democracy.”

Other country developments cited

The report also noted that the United States was added to the ITUC Watchlist over concerns relating to collective bargaining rights and the use of force against workers. France received its lowest rating since the index was introduced, and Argentina recorded one of the sharpest declines, moving from a rating of three to five within two years.

What the index shows

The 2026 Global Rights Index paints a concerning picture of the global state of workers’ rights, with violence, arrests and restrictions on labour organising continuing to rise, the ITUC concluded.