2015 ITUC Global Rights Index - Burundi

2015 ITUC Global Rights Index Rating: 4

Restrictions on the right to elect representatives and self-administer in full freedom:

Private sector workers may not be members of the administration and management of a trade union unless they: 1) are aged at least 25 years; 2) are able to read and write; 3) have not incurred a prison sentence without private final suspension of freedom exceeding six months' imprisonment; and 4) have practiced in the relevant trade for at least one year (art. 275, Labour Code). Public sector workers are only eligible for election to the leadership team of a trade union if they have worked in the public sector for at least 3 years (section 10, Act No. 1/015). Section 7 of Act 1/015 further provides that, in the event of a leadership conflict, the Minister of the Public Service may refer the matter to the Administrative Chamber of the Supreme Court.

Arbitrary imprisonment of journalist:

Authorities ordered the closure of the leading station Radio Publique Africaine (RPA) in Bujumbura, accusing the station of "incitement" for covering the protests in the capital ahead of the controversial general elections. Moreover, Bob Rugurika, a journalist employed with RDA and a member of the Union Burundaise des Journalistes, was arrested for broadcasting a murder confession implicating the security services. Three Roman Catholic nuns, aged between 75 and 83, were murdered at a convent north of Bujumbura in September 2014.

The ITUC Global Rights Index Ratings:

1 // Irregular violation of rights
Collective labour rights are generally guaranteed. Workers can freely associate and defend their rights collectively with the government and/or companies and can improve their working conditions through collective bargaining. Violations against workers are not absent but do not occur on a regular basis.

2 // Repeated violation of rights
Countries with a rating of 2 have slightly weaker collective labour rights than those with the rating 1. Certain rights have come under repeated attacks by governments and/or companies and have undermined the struggle for better working conditions.

3 // Regular violation of rights
Governments and/or companies are regularly interfering in collective labour rights or are failing to fully guarantee important aspects of these rights. There are deficiencies in laws and/or certain practices which make frequent violations possible.

4 // Systematic violation of rights
Workers in countries with the rating 4 have reported systematic violations. The government and/or companies are engaged in serious efforts to crush the collective voice of workers putting fundamental rights under threat.

5 // No guarantee of rights
Countries with the rating of 5 are the worst countries in the world to work in. While the legislation may spell out certain rights workers have effectively no access to these rights and are therefore exposed to autocratic regimes and unfair labour practices.

5+ // No guarantee of rights due to the breakdown of the rule of law
Workers in countries with the rating 5+ have equally limited rights as countries with the rating 5. However, in countries with the rating 5+ this is linked to dysfunctional institutions as a result of internal conflict and/or military occupation. In such cases, the country is assigned the rating of 5+ by default.