In many parts of the world, freedom of association in the workplace has come under increasingly hostile attacks. In 2011, 75 labor activists were murdered and thousands more were harassed, fired, arrested or abducted for defending workers’ rights.

Yet beyond these heinous acts, workers face deep-rooted barriers to realizing the right to freely associate and bargain collectively in the workplace. The increasing mobility of capital, the rise of precarious work, and the growing power of multinational companies all threaten workers’ ability to organize and collectively bargain.

Lack of Progress Spurs Concerns of Impunity and Cover-Up to Protect Security Forces as Workers and Labor Leaders Fear for their Safety