Think-Tanks'Press

The only comprehensive, global annual survey of the violation of workers’ rights

Among the most shocking data points in 2026 are a five percentage point rise in violations of free speech and assembly over the past year, a six percentage point increase in violent attacks against workers, and a three percentage point rise in attacks on civil liberties, including a dramatic rise in the number of arrests and detentions of workers and their representatives. The sharp spike in these indicators signals that the persecution of trade union leaders is becoming commonplace in an ever-growing number of countries.

Increasingly, we see new technology being deployed as a method of control, used to monitor, discipline and silence workers. We also see fewer governments consulting unions in good faith before amending or introducing labour laws.

In Europe and the Americas, workers’ rights are suffering an alarming decline. Both regions registered their worst average country rating since the Index began in 2014 and the increasing influence of the far right is putting workers and unions at risk in countries such as Argentina and France – two out of four countries to be downgraded in 2026.