(Commonwealth)_ A new international survey of workers’ rights reports that Commonwealth nations are making modest progress ahead of other global blocs, despite serious challenges. The 2025 International Trade Union Confederation Global Rights Index was published at the 113th Session of the International Labour Conference, which presents an overall picture of increasing pressure on freedoms around the world but shows comparatively better performance in the Commonwealth.
The index, which tracks workers’ rights in 151 International Labour Organization (ILO) member states, 35 of them Commonwealth countries report rising worldwide threats to the organizations that defend workers and increasing restrictions on freedoms of assembly, association, and expression. However, statistics indicate that Commonwealth countries have fared slightly better than in the previous year.
CTUG clarifies that, despite being part of the mainstream flow of globalization, the Commonwealth space has managed to resist the broader global trend towards deteriorating labor conditions. Although there are still serious issues in many Commonwealth nations, the overall score of the Commonwealth space went up by 3.56 in 2024 to 3.54 in 2025 on a scale ranging from 1 to 5 (where lower scores denote more robust protections for workers). This rating places the Commonwealth midway between routine and systemic abuse of rights. Compared to non-Commonwealth nations, where a quarter fall into the worst category (score 5), only one-sixth of Commonwealth nations received such a low rating.
There is a 5+ category in the index for those countries where the rule of law has completely broken down by internal conflict or military invasion, and where workers have no guarantee of any rights. Notably, no Commonwealth country was ranked in this category.
Some of the highest-scoring Commonwealth nations in the survey were Australia, Barbados, Ghana, Malawi, New Zealand, and Singapore. Trade unions have struggled against deteriorating conditions of rights in Canada, Ghana, and Mauritius, among other nations.
Several legislative and political developments led to the recognition of marginal progress within the Commonwealth. The passage of Australia’s Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Protecting Worker Entitlements) Act 2023 has been helpful. So has the United Kingdom’s introduction of an Employment Rights Bill and the restoration of democratic government in Gabon, where a trade unionist was appointed Minister of Labour.
However, the index noted that several Commonwealth countries continue to have serious labour rights challenges. Countries such as Bangladesh, Eswatini, Nigeria, India, Malaysia, and Pakistan are highlighted for continuing deficiencies in protections for workers, often driven by weak enforcement mechanisms, limited freedom for union activities, or lack of legal reforms.
The ITUC report measures compliance with 96 international labour standards and norms, providing a tool to measure performance and pressure governments to secure stronger protections for workers. The CTUG, representing some 70 million trade unionists in 46 Commonwealth countries, is demanding a restart of the Commonwealth Labour and Employment Ministers Meetings, which have not met since the 1990s. The union sees these meetings as a valuable platform to advance the rights of workers across member states.
The 2025 Global Rights Index offers a valuable benchmarking reference point for encouraging cooperative improvement in labour rights performance. Although there are numerous challenges to the protection of workers in the Commonwealth, the recent survey indicates that it is on a more favourable track than other regional blocs. Far more progress is achievable—with concerted effort, trade union support, and more firm policy commitments—in safeguarding and advancing workers’ rights throughout the Commonwealth.
