Communist nations rank high in workers’ rights violations —report

Published by rudy Date posted on September 2, 2010

Freedom House: When we weaken unions, we weaken the entire democratic fabric

MANILA, Philippines—Communist-run nations around the world have been striking down workers’ rights and repressing labor unions, an international human rights watchdog revealed.

The Freedom House recently issued its report, which examines the global state of worker and trade union rights in 2009. It cited serious violations of the rights of workers and trade unions that have occurred in some countries in the Middle East, former Soviet Union, Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa.

Leaders of independent trade unions in the former Soviet Republic of Belarus are frequently arrested and prosecuted for peaceful protests and dismissed from employment under its Trade Union Law of January 2000.

Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, does not have trade unions, the report said.

The study assesses the state of workers’ rights in 165 countries, which are then ranked on a five-category scale: Free, Mostly Free, Partly Free, Repressive, and Very Repressive. Their rankings are shown on a color-coded map.

Of the 165 countries, 40 countries were judged to have either Repressive or Very Repressive labor rights environments.

The 14 countries ranked as Very Repressive are:

* Belarus, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan (in the former Soviet Union).
* Burma, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam (in Asia).
* Libya, Saudi Arabia, and Syria (in the Middle East).
* Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, and Sudan (in sub-Saharan Africa).
* Cuba (in the Americas)

Among the countries classified as Repressive are China, Egypt, Iran, Singapore, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.

Forty-one countries were found to have free labor rights environments. Of these, 26 were European Union member-states.

Arch Puddington, director of research at Freedom House and editor of the workers’ rights report was quoted in a media bulletin, “The findings of this study remind us that unions are an essential element of stable democracies, and that when we weaken unions, we weaken the entire democratic fabric.”

The report also found that the absence of genuine unions almost certainly contributes to job-site deaths and injuries. In China, where toothless state-controlled unions prevail, thousands of workers die each year in factory and mining accidents. (Newsbreak)

July 2025

Nutrition Month
“Give us much more than P50 increase
for proper nutrition!”

Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry recommendations
against serious violations of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association protocols.

Accept National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar.  Reject Military!

#WearMask #WashHands #Distancing #TakePicturesVideosturesVideos

Time to support & empower survivors. Time to spark a global conversation. Time for #GenerationEquality to #orangetheworld!

July


3 July – International Day of Cooperatives
3 Ju
ly – International Plastic Bag Free Day
 
5 July –
World Youth Skills Day 
7 July – Global Forgiveness Day
11 July – World Population Day 
17 July – World Day for
International Justice
28 July – World Nature Conservation Day
30 July – World Day against Trafficking in Persons 


Monthly Observances:

Schools Safety Month

Nutrition Month
National Disaster Consciousness Month

Weekly Observances:

Week 2: Cultural Communities Week
Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise
Development Week
Week 3: National Science and
Technology Week
National Disability Prevention and
Rehabilitation Week
July 1-7:
National Culture Consciousness Week
July 13-19:
Philippines Business Week
Week ending last Saturday of July:
Arbor Week

 

Daily Observances:

First Saturday of July:
International Cooperative Day
in the Philippines

Categories

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.