Professional athlete status: “Like any worker, they are entitled to fundamental rights” (WPA)

"For the first time, governments, employers and workers’ representatives have reached consensus on international guidelines designed to protect the fundamental rights of professional and high-level athletes. Professional athletes are workers and, like any others, have fundamental rights," announced the World Players Association (WPA) on 06/03/2026.

The association "played a central role in securing the adoption of historic global guidelines at the ILO meeting of experts on fundamental principles and Rights at Work and on Violence and Harassment in the World of Sport, held in Geneva (SUI) from 02 to 06/03," said UNI Global Union on 13/03/2026, an organisation "representing workers in more than 150 countries in the services economy to achieve better jobs and better lives".

"The guidelines reiterate the importance of global solidarity and international standard-setting processes. They were agreed against a backdrop of continuing challenges for athletes worldwide. Research from UNI World Players has documented the rise of issues including threats to health and safety, violence, abuse and…