Ten worst countries for workers in 2025 highlight global labor risks

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has once again listed the Philippines among the 10 worst countries for workers in 2025, alongside Bangladesh, Belarus, Ecuador, Egypt, Eswatini, Myanmar, Nigeria, Tunisia, and Turkiye.

The annual ITUC Global Rights Index points to systemic violations of workers’ rights, including intimidation, arbitrary arrests, and violent dispersals of strikes and protests. These conditions, the group warns, not only endanger workers but also create risks for global supply chains.

Bangladesh remains a flashpoint, supplying about 8 percent of the world’s garments to brands such as Zara and H&M. Garment workers continue to face harassment and violence. In February 2025, more than 800 employees of PepsiCo’s exclusive franchisee, Transcom Beverages, went on strike over unfair dismissals, only to be met with a violent police crackdown and arrests.

In Belarus, Ecuador, and Egypt, union activity is heavily restricted. Belarus has 29 union leaders still imprisoned, while Ecuador allows only 1 percent of workers access to collective bargaining due to restrictive laws and intimidation. In Egypt, independent unions dissolved since 2018 continue to face registration barriers, with unionists detained on terrorism-related charges.

Elsewhere, repression has intensified. In Myanmar, 151 unionists have been arrested since the 2021 coup, with some tortured or executed. Nigeria joined the index for the first time this year after security forces raided union offices and detained labour leaders. Tunisia and Eswatini have also seen greater restrictions on civic space, with unionists prosecuted for protests and online posts.

The Philippines remains on the list largely due to persistent “red-tagging” of labor organizers. ITUC noted that union leaders are often accused of communist links, putting them at direct risk.

On 27 October 2024, police detained Gavino Panganiban, KMU regional campaign director, and Maritess David, an OLALIA-KMU organizer, in Southern Tagalog. They were charged with murder, attempted murder, and firearms violations, despite being involved in relief operations for typhoon-affected workers. Rights groups warn that such cases highlight the government’s continuing use of criminalization to silence union activity.

Turkiye rounds out the list, with employers and authorities accused of union-busting practices. Following municipal elections in 2024, 6,750 workers were dismissed and tens of thousands forced to resign their union memberships.

For global businesses, the ITUC report is a warning that labor repression is not only a social issue but also an economic risk, capable of disrupting industries such as textiles, electronics, and agriculture that rely on these countries.

The report emphasized that widespread violations of workers’ rights continue to undermine global supply chains and erode conditions for sustainable growth.