Freedom of Association
Database 2024

Freedom of Association
Indicator
Freedom of Association
Countries
LRI 2024
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Burundi

Freedom of Association Indicator

The Labour Rights Index 2024 (LRI 2024) is a de-jure index covering 145 economies and structured around the working lifespan of a worker. In total, 46 questions or evaluation criteria are scored across 10 indicators. The overall score is calculated by taking the average of each indicator, with 100 being the highest possible score. The Index uses a rating system, ranging from “Total Lack of Decent Work” to “Decent Work”. The Labour Rights Index aims at an active contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals, by providing necessary (complementary) insights into de jure provisions on issues covered in particular by SDG8 (Decent Jobs), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and SDG 16 (Strong Institutions). The Index is based on national labour legislation, applicable on 1 January 2024.

Burundi’s overall score is 72 out of 100. The overall score for Burundi is greater than the regional average observed across Sub-Saharan Africa (66). Within the Sub-Saharan Africa region, the highest score is observed for Côte d’Ivoire (84.5).

Burundi ratified Convention No. 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise (1948) in 1993 and Convention No. 98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining (1949) in 1997.

Labour Rights Index 2024

72/100

LRI Country Score

75/100

Freedom of Association Indicator

5.61 %

Trade union density rate (%)

. %

Collective bargaining coverage rate (%)

2.85

SDG indicator 8.8.2

5+

ITUC Global Rights Index 2024 Ratings

Question

Answer

Score

Legal Basis

More Info

Does the law allow workers to form and join unions of their own choice?

Yes

1

§590 of the Labour Code, 2020

A

Does the law allow workers to bargain collectively with employers through their representative unions?

Yes

1

§524-533 & 548-564 of the Labour Code, 2020

Does the law provide for the right to strike?

No

0

§500-512 of the Labour Code, 2020; CEACR, C87, Obs. 2023

A,B

Does the law prohibit imposing of excessive sanctions against striking workers?

Yes

1

§509 of the Labour Code, 2020

A

Textual sources

A : National Law

National Labour Legislation

B : CEACR

CEACR: ILO Committee of Experts on Application of Conventions and Recommendations (latest report)

C : ITUC

ITUC: ITUC Global Rights Index

D : USDOS

USDOS: US Department of States' Country Reports on Human Rights Practices

LRI Country Score
The Labour Rights Index has 10 indicators and 46 sub-indicators. The LRI Country score averages 10 indicators and ranges between 0 and 100. The lowest and highest scorers are Nigeria (29/100) and Belgium/Greece (96/100). https://labourrightsindex.org/  

Freedom of Association Indicator
The Freedom of Association indicator is composed of 4 sub-indicators. Scoring is done through the binary method (0 or 1). The score ranges between 0-100. 

Trade union density rate (%)
The trade union density rate conveys the number of union members who are employees as a percentage of the total number of employees in the country. For updated statistics on trade union density, please check ILOSTAT. 

Collective bargaining coverage rate (%)
The collective bargaining coverage rate conveys the number of employees whose pay and/or conditions of employment are determined by one or more collective agreement(s) as a percentage of the total number of employees in the country. For updated statistics on collective bargaining coverage, please check ILOSTAT. 

SDG indicator 8.8.2
SDG indicator 8.8.2 measures national compliance with fundamental labour rights (freedom of association and collective bargaining or FACB). It ranges from 0 to 10, with 0 being the best possible score (indicating higher levels of compliance with FACB rights) and 10 the worst (indicating lower levels of compliance with FACB rights). It is based on six ILO supervisory body textual sources and national legislation.
For an updated assessment on SDG indicator 8.8.2, please check ILOSTAT. 

ITUC Global Rights Index 2024 Ratings
The ITUC Global Rights Index depicts the world’s worst countries for workers by rating 148 countries on a scale from 1 to 5+ on the degree of respect for workers’ rights. Violations are recorded each year from April to March.  For a detailed description of ratings and methodology, please follow the link. 

Information

Source: §590 of the Labour Code, 2020

A : National Law

National Labour Legislation

"Article 590: Unions may validly be constituted when they count at least: 1° five members for employers' unions; 2° twenty members for workers' unions. Article 591: The worker exercising a professional activity or a trade may, without any authorization, join a union. Anyone who has left the exercise of their function, profession or trade without distinction of sex or nationality can continue to be part of a professional union. https://www.droit-afrique.com/uploads/Burundi-Code-2020-travail.pdf "

Information

Source: §524-533 & 548-564 of the Labour Code, 2020

Information

Source: §500-512 of the Labour Code, 2020; CEACR, C87, Obs. 2023

A : National Law

National Labour Legislation

"502: A strike is legal when: 1º it is carried out by a group of workers after the assent of a simple majority of the workers concerned by the dispute; 2º its purpose is to promote or defend the common economic, professional, social or moral interests of workers; 3º it occurs after completion of the formalities provided for in this chapter"

B : CEACR

CEACR: ILO Committee of Experts on Application of Conventions and Recommendations

"Right of organizations to organize their activities and to formulate their programmes in full freedom. Procedures for the exercise of the right to strike. ...........The Committee recalls that it requested the Government to take the necessary steps to: (i) amend section 213 of the Labour Code of 1993, which provides that strikes are lawful when they are called with the approval of a simple majority of the employees of the workplace or enterprise; ............."

Information

Source: §509 of the Labour Code, 2020

A : National Law

National Labour Legislation

"Article 510: A legal strike suspends the employment contracts of striking employees for the duration of strike."