Free Speech, Assembly, and Labor Rights in Singapore and the United States

Singapore consistently ranks highly on various measures, rankings, and indices related to its economic power, education, and low levels of corruption. 2 The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Global Rights Index, which assesses how governments recognize (or fail to recognize) labor rights, is no different. 3 The Index measures rights such as the right to strike, the right to collective bargaining, and the right to establish and join a trade union. 4 In 2021, on a scale from 1representing a sporadic violation of rights-to 5-representing no guarantee of rights-the United States received a 4, indicating systematic violations of labor rights across the country. 5The ITUC developed the Global Rights Index to increase transparency and visibility regarding each country's treatment of workers' rights. 6While the Index is just one comparative measure, it highlights trends and provides context for how other countries compare in labor rights protections.The historical trends of the labor movement in the United States are marked by violent and legal resistance to workers' rights, resulting in the country's limited modern labor rights and its current Index rating. 7By contrast, the Index rates Singapore at 2, indicating