Burkina Faso: Government and Labor Unions reach key agreements at Annual meeting in Ouagadougou

The annual meeting between the government and labor unions, held on February 6-7, 2025, in Ouagadougou, concluded with concrete commitments from authorities.

Organized at the Baoghin building’s social dialogue hall, the discussions focused on seven key points from the unions’ platform, resulting in notable progress on several issues.

Among the major decisions, the government pledged to advance the ratification of International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions 181 and 189, which address private employment agencies and domestic work, respectively.

Additionally, authorities promised to finalize and adopt the long-awaited labor code, a key demand from the unions.

The government also committed to implementing the check-off system, a mechanism for deducting union dues from salaries, and agreed to provide unions with a standard form to streamline the process. Furthermore, revisions to Law No.

033-2008, governing the legal status of employees in public economic enterprises, and Law No. 064-2015, on freedom of association, were approved, with assurances of their eventual adoption.

Despite these advancements, unions highlighted several unresolved issues requiring urgent attention.

They criticized the lack of meaningful social dialogue, noting that many communications from the Union of Autonomous Trade Unions (UAS) had gone unanswered.

Other concerns included the situation of the Secretary-General of the General Confederation of Workers of Burkina (CGTB), the return of workers to high-security-risk areas, and the operationalization of universal health insurance.

Unions also emphasized the need to address the rising cost of living and declining purchasing power of workers, calling for a review of salary scales for employees of state-owned companies and public social security institutions.

While the meeting yielded significant progress, it also underscored persistent challenges.

The government’s commitments must now translate into tangible actions to meet workers’ expectations and strengthen trust in social dialogue. The outcomes of this meeting mark a step forward, but sustained efforts will be crucial to ensure lasting improvements for Burkina Faso’s labor force.

Olivier TOE