Shame: U.S. Ranks Among World's Worst Labor Violators

A new report issued by the International Trade Union Confederation shows that the United States is among the world's worst countries when it comes to workers' rights. The ITUC has 325 affiliates in 161 countries.

"The guarantee of the free exercise of workers' rights is a guarantee of a more equal and prosperous society. When workers enjoy the freedom of a collective voice, can bargain for safe workplaces and fair wages...and are free from discrimination, then productivity and economic growth can flourish," the ITUC said in its report.

However, "abuses of rights are getting worse, not better, and too many countries take no responsibility for protecting workers' rights in a national context or through corporate supply chains," the report said.

Shamefully, the U.S. is one of those countries. In fact, the U.S., which used to lead the world in workers' rights, now trails 73 other countries that do a better job of maintaining workers' rights to bargain and organize.

The annual report, first issued in 1983, is based on the world's most comprehensive data base of workers' rights violations and an extensive survey of member organizations. This year, in addition to qualitative data, the information is supplemented by numerical ratings for each country that show how workers' rights are recognized -- or not -- around the globe.

The ITUC Global Rights Index covers violators in 139 countries recorded from April 2013-March 2014. Analysts used 97 indicators of fundamental human rights and workers' rights, as defined by the International Labor Organization conventions. These include freedom of association, the right to bargain collectively and the right to strike. The U.S. has ratified just two of the eight conventions, covering slave labor and the worst child labor abuses; other industrial democracies have recognized all the ILO principles.

Based on these indicators, countries received a numerical ranking, and then were rated in clusters from 1-5, depending on their compliance with bargaining and workers' rights. A higher ranking indicates those governments that have failed to respect and guarantee workers' rights. A country where the rule of law has completely broken down received a 5+ rating.

The U.S. ranking was four, systematic violation of rights. "Workers in countries with the rating of four have reported systematic violations. The government and/or companies are engaged in serious efforts to crush the collective voice of workers, putting fundamental rights under continuous threat," the report found. The U.S. shares that rating with Mexico, Honduras, Bahrain, Pakistan, Yemen, Thailand and others.

Read the full report here.