Argentina added to list of world’s worst countries for workers’ rights

Argentina, Panama and Ecuador have been ranked among the world's 10 worst countries for workers' rights, according to a report published Monday by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

The three Latin American nations were grouped alongside Belarus, Egypt, Eswatini, Myanmar, Nigeria, Tunisia and Turkey in the latest Global Rights Index.

“Argentina’s rating fell for the second consecutive year into category five, an index low for the South American nation. This represents a sharp and unprecedented decline from category 3 to 5 in just two years – a fall from regular violations of rights to a situation where workers have no guarantee of rights,” the ITUC said in a report.

“Under the far-right government of President Javier Milei, conditions for workers and unions have grown increasingly repressive and hostile,” it added.

“Since coming to power in 2023, Milei has pursued an antiunion agenda that dilutes workers’ rights in favour of the private sector, from dismantling social dialogue structures to labour reforms that undermine union negotiators and the right to protest. The private sector, emboldened by the state, has intensified its suppression of union activity,” continues the report.

The ITUC complained that “workers and unionists face systematic abuse and the shrinking of civic space” under the Milei administration, highlighting that at least 1,350 people were during protests in 202 and the August 2025 arrest of  union leader Federico Giuliani in Córdoba, along with 14 other protesters.

"Conditions for workers and trade unions have become increasingly repressive and hostile” under Milei’s government, concluded the report. 

The study noted that Argentina has introduced its “anti-picket” roadblock protocol aimed at maintaining "public order in the event of road blockades," under which authorities are authorised to make what it described as indiscriminate use of police force.

Regarding Panama, the confederation said that "workers and trade unions in this Central American country lack guarantees for their basic rights and face constant oppression from employers and the state."

On Ecuador, the report noted that lawmakers approved legislation in 2025 allowing surveillance without a judicial warrant, as well as the interception of communications and the collection of private data.

Category 5 countries "are the worst countries in the world to work in. While legislation may set out certain rights, workers effectively have no access to them," the report said.

Uruguay an ‘exception’

Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Peru and Trinidad and Tobago were placed in Category 4, which covers countries with "systematic violations" of workers' rights.

The Bahamas, Bolivia, Chile, Jamaica, Mexico and Paraguay were classified in Category 3, where "regular violations" occur.

Category 2, covering countries with "repeated violations," includes Spain, Portugal and the Dominican Republic.

Uruguay was the only Latin American nation to reach Category 1, reserved for countries with only "sporadic violations." It joins Germany, Austria, Denmark, Iceland, Ireland, Norway and Sweden in that group.

The report highlighted Uruguay as "an exception in a region largely characterised by trade union repression and exploitation."

More broadly, Latin America "remains the deadliest region for workers and their representatives," with extrajudicial killings recorded in Colombia and Mexico.

"In nearly nine out of 10 countries, the right to strike has been violated and trade union registration has been obstructed. In approximately half of the region's 25 countries, workers have been arrested or imprisoned," the ITUC said.

‘Heart of democracies’

The ITUC said 72 percent of 151 all countries surveyed denied workers access to justice, with authorities in about 50 percent of countries arresting or detaining workers last year.

ITUC General Secretary Luc Triangle said the 2026 Index shows that "the crisis for workers' rights is no longer confined to the margins – it is now at the heart of democracies."

The annual rights index found that the right to strike was violated in 87 percent of countries, the same level as in the previous two years, with the right to collective bargaining restricted in 80 percent.

"Governments are failing to protect working people, and in many cases are actively undermining them," Triangle said, resulting in "a coordinated attack on democracy.”

The United States in particular was placed on the ITUC watch list with a rating of four for "systemic violations of rights," while France's rating fell to three from two, despite the country's historically robust union presence.

"Europe and the Americas record their worst average ratings since the index began in 2014," the report said, noting an increased use of digital surveillance to monitor and intimidate employees. 

The ITUC  denounced a "billionaire coup" with the support of far-right and authoritarian leaders to roll back rights in order to maximise profits. It said fewer countries were consulting with labour organisations before enacting new labour laws. 

The labour federation has compiled its annual index since 2014, ranking 151 countries on dozens of criteria based on International Labour Organisation conventions.

– TIMES/AFP