By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu
Nigeria has been named one of the top 10 countries with the most severe breaches of workers’ rights in the 2025 ITUC Global Rights Index, joining nations like Bangladesh, Belarus, Egypt, and Myanmar.
The latest report paints a dire picture of the global state of labor rights, noting a significant deterioration in protections for workers across Europe, the Americas, and other parts of the world. This marks the worst performance these regions have seen since the Index was first established in 2014.
The Middle East and North Africa were identified as the worst regions for labor conditions, with an overwhelming 87% of countries violating workers’ right to strike and 80% infringing on the right to collective bargaining.
The ITUC has issued a stark warning: if current trends continue, no country will be able to maintain the highest rating for workers’ rights within the next 10 years. This would lead to deeper disenfranchisement of workers and further fuel political instability and extremism.
Additionally, 12 countries—ravaged by war and lawlessness—have earned the lowest possible rating, underscoring the devastating consequences of global conflict on labor rights.
On a more positive note, some countries, including Australia, Mexico, and Oman, have shown signs of improvement in their labor conditions. The ITUC has called for immediate action to reverse the trend of declining workers’ rights, urging governments to combat the growing influence of the ultra-wealthy elite and their political supporters who are undermining labor protections.
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