The ITUC ranked Burundi the worst possible score of 5+ in the Global Rights Index, a status shared by 11 other countries[1] due its frequent repression of trade union leaders including arrests, union busting and usage of strike breakers.
[2] During Belgium colonial rule, African workers were not allowed to form or join trade unions until 1946.
The socialist General Labour Federation of Belgium (FGTB) ignored some of the restrictions on organizing African workers and by 1951 helped organized African and European workers in the affiliated FGTB-CBRU (French: Fédération Générale du Travail de Belgique-Congo Belge, Rwanda-Urundi) inside the shared colony of Belgium Congo/Ruanda-Urundi.
[3] The Belgian Confederation of Christian Trade Unions established the Federation of Christian Workers' Unions and Rural Workers of Burundi (FSOCPB; Fédération des Syndicats de Chrétians Ouvriers et Paysans du Burundi) in 1958.
[5] Four trade union emerged from former Belgian trade unions, (SLTB; Syndicat Libre des Travailleurs du Burundi), (SAAB; Syndicat des Agents de l'Administration du Burundi) a civil-servant union, FTB; Fédération des Travailleurs du Burundi (formed in 1963 and banned in 1965) and (SCB; Syndicat Chrétian du Burundi).