Brussels - The International Trade Union Confederation ITUC said Thursday that 91 trade unionists were murdered around the world in 2007, with the most dangerous country continuing to be the Central American state of Colombia.

In its 2008 Annual Survey of Trade Union Rights Violations, the ITUC said that 39 unionists were killed in Colombia.

Second-worst was Guinea, the ITUC said, with its report accusing the regime of President Lansana Conte for being directly responsible for the killing of 30 unionists in a brutal repression of union- organised demonstrations against corruption and violations of fundamental rights.

The ITUC survey also said there had been a "disturbing upsurge in violence in Guatemala" where four trade unionists had been murdered amid a worsening climate of threats and harassment.

The ITUC, in its survey of developments in 138 countries, said there had been serious and systematic repression and intimidation of unionists in 63 countries last year.

A total of 73 unionists were arrested, including 40 alone in Iran where there was a systematic repression of unions in the transport and education sectors.

Repression of legitimate trade union activities, which are guaranteed under ILO Conventions, continued unabated in every continent," ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder said.

"Murder, violence and torture, along with harassment, dismissal and imprisonment, were all used to stop working people organising unions and bargaining collectively for decent pay and working conditions," he added.

The ITUC report also criticised developments in some European Union countries where union rights were being undermined.

In France, for example, President Nicolas Sarkozy had introduced a law imposing strict limitations on strike action in the public transportation sector. There was a similar trend in Belgium. (dpa)