GITEGA/KIRUNDO/MAKAMBA/RUTANA/MWARO/NGOZI/BUJUMBURA, May 3rd (ABP) – Burundi joined the rest of the world on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in celebrating Labor and Workers’ Day.
The President of the National Assembly of Burundi, Mr. Gélase Ndabirabe, presided over the commemorative ceremonies of this day in Gitega province, the political capital of the country.
The Gitega stadium which hosted the said ceremonies also saw the presence of numerous personalities including parliamentarians, senior executives of the ministries located in Gitega, staff from different socio-professional sectors, civil society organizations, community development associations, the community of students in the urban center of Gitega as well as the population.
The speech for the occasion focused on the message to the nation that the Burundian Head of State, Mr. Evariste Ndayishimiye, delivered on that occasion.
This is the same message that the Speaker of the National Assembly read in full today. This speech focused on thanking the population for the increase in agricultural production.
This increase resulted from the change in mentality on the part of civil servants in the public and private sectors, according to the President of the National Assembly, specifying that they joined the rural population in restoring food security. He took the opportunity to remind the idlers of the work regulations, citing between punctuality, assiduity and regularity. To counter delays at work, the president of the assembly indicated that the Burundian government will initiate the electronic timekeeping system.
He called on the private sector to do the same. In connection with the improvement of the living conditions of retirees, the President of the National Assembly called on the ONPR (the National Office for the Protection of Retirees) and the INSS (National Institute of Social Security), to invest, within a week, for the preparation of retirees’ files, without fail, even if it means submitting them to the executive to see to what extent the government could review the retirement pension considered derisory.
Previously two communications had been presented, one by the employee representative and the other by the employer representative. The first identified a series of challenges facing employees before proposing workplace dialogue as a solution.
As for the employer representatives, he requested a framework for exchange between employers and employees to deal with conflicts together, if necessary.
In Kirundo province, the ceremonies were enhanced by the Minister of Energy and Mines Mr. Ibrahim Uwizeye who represented the government. In his welcoming remarks, the governor’s chief of staff, Mr. Eric Nduwayezu indicated that labor and workers’ day should be an opportunity to self-evaluate and see if the activities undertaken have yielded satisfactory production in the framework to contribute to the development of the country.
He also thanked the Burundian government which facilitated the electrification of around 80 centers in Kirundo province, via the Kirundo Rural Electrification Project (PERK), as well as the correction of water supply. drinking water in the Bugabira commune which is in progress.
The administrator of the Kirundo commune, Mr. Viateur Habimana, for his part, indicated that the water supply in the town of Kirundo, which dates from the 1990s when the town housed 5,000 people, has remained the same until today while the people have multiplied by five.
Administrator Habimana requested the extension of this supply, so that the entire population of the town of Kirundo has access to drinking water.
The representative of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Burundi (COSYBU), Mr. Léonard Buhinja and that of the Association of Employers of Burundi (AEB), Mr. Elias Mbanzamihigo respectively read the speeches sent by the national representatives. The day ended with the reading of the Head of State’s speech by Minister Uwizeye.
In Makamba province, the ceremonies were led by the Burundian Ombudsman, Mrs. Aimée Laurentine Kanyana, as well as the Secretary General of the CNDD-FDD, Mr. Révérien Ndikuriyo.
After reading the message in connection with the celebration of International Labor Day, the Burundian Ombudsman thanked on behalf of the population of Makamba the Secretary General of the CNDD-FDD for his laudable contribution to the development of Makamba province.
On behalf of the Makamba province, Mrs. Kanyana presented him with a certificate of honour and an envelope.
In his remarks for the occasion, Mr. Ndikuriyo returned to the clauses resulting from the central committee meeting of the CNDD-FDD party held in Ngozi. He reminded the population of the model household that Burundi must advocate, to strengthen Burundian culture and morals, to educate children from a young age, to strengthen coffee growing and the transformation of avocado culture into coffee culture.
During his welcoming speech, the governor of Makamba, Mrs. Tantine Ncutinamagara, indicated that the population goes about its daily activities of increasing production in agriculture, livestock, fishing and trade. The population is also involved in cooperatives and associations. She further indicated that corn production was good and gave hope that even bean and rice production will be good during this growing season B.
The festivities began with a parade of workers from different sectors of life in the province as well as those from the ombudsman’s office, production cooperatives, bikers and bicycle taxis.
In Rutana province, the ceremonies which were animated by a long parade of workers from all sectors and students as well as traditional dances, and were enhanced by the presence of the governor of this province as well as other heads of services.
During his speech, the representative of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Burundi (COSYBU) in Rutana province, Mr. Léonard Hwinyirako, called on employers and employees to respect their duties, in order to achieve sustainable development.
After delivering the president’s speech to the nation, the governor of the said province, Mr. Olivier Nibitanga, said he was satisfied with the fact that workers from different institutions now respect working hours, and called on them to continue this momentum, in order to be able to achieve the vision of Burundi in 2040 and 2060.
Mr. Nibitanga awarded five workers who gave themselves body and soul during this year, including two hill chiefs and a single man who runs an orphanage for at least 60 children.
In Mwaro province, the festivities took place in all the communes, but the Kayokwe commune was fortunate to have welcomed a distinguished guest sent by the government, the Minister of the East African Community, Youth, Sports and of Culture, Gervais Abayeho.
On this occasion, Gervais Abayeho read in full the speech which was delivered by the President of the Republic to the population, the day before Labor Day.
The representative of the Confederation of Burundi Trade Unions in Mwaro, for his part, said that workers are in difficult conditions caused by the high cost of living. Minister Gervais Abayeho reading the speech
The festivities began with a long parade carried out by staff from the different ministries working in the Mwaro province, cooperatives provided with food, students from the different establishments of the Kayokwe communal management, bikers and bicycle taxis. The ceremonies were enhanced by drummers and entertainment groups as well as acrobats.
In Ngozi commune, the ceremonies marking Labor and Workers’ Day took place at the Muremera provincial stadium and enhanced by the presence of the Minister of National Solidarity, Social Affairs, Human Rights and Gender, Mrs. Imelde Sabushimike.
They began with a long parade of public and private sector workers, but also members of the various cooperatives working in Ngozi commune.
In his welcoming remarks, the chief of staff of the governor of Ngozi congratulated the population for their active participation in the country’s development activities. He also launched an appeal for the development of avocado cultivation currently established by the government of Burundi as an export crop.
The workers’ representative, Mr. Maxime Ndayisaba, returned to the behaviour that an employee must display in the workplace. He particularly insisted on punctuality, love of a job well done, respect for hierarchy, etc. He also spoke about the obligations of the employer, who has, in his specifications, sincere collaboration, respect for labor law and the well-being of his employees. He ended with a climate of permanent dialogue which must guide the world of work in order to maintain a spirit of understanding and trust between employees and employers.
Minister Imelde Sabushimike who delivered the day’s speech warmly thanked the inhabitants of Ngozi province for their massive participation in the celebration. This demonstrates the confidence they have in themselves and in the activities, they carry out throughout the working year which ends on April 30 of each year.
Mrs. Sabushimike then proceeded to read the entire speech of the Head of State.
In the provinces, the ceremonies took place in Mutimbuzi commune and were enhanced by the presence of the Minister of Communication, Information Technologies and Media, Mrs. Léocadie Ndacayisaba, acheck on the site by ABP has revealed.
In his welcoming remarks, the governor of this province, Désiré Nsengiyumva, said that the Mutimbuzi commune is facing floods in the Gatumba and Rukaramu areas, reiterating the request to the government to continue to assist the victims.
The speech for the occasion was delivered by Mr. Abel Mpawenimana, bearer of the message from the trade union confederation of Burundi (COSYBU) who highlighted the behaviour of certain workers today who are not properly fulfilling their obligations, who no longer respect the labor code, who are late or absent from work without valid reason and who spend their time in service without producing.
He did not forget to point out that there are employers who display unsavoury behaviour among those in the State or in the private sector. COSYBU notes that certain parastatal companies have become private properties of their managers who highlight cronyism in the awarding of public contracts, which are poorly executed because the winners do not have the required skills and corruption takes hold and the high cost of living that follows, insisted the representative of that trade union organization
Minister Léocadie Ndacayisaba delivered the speech that the President of the Republic addressed to workers on the occasion of this day the day before.
Furthermore, the Mutimbuzi commune and the governor’s office awarded prizes to workers who distinguished themselves by carrying out their duties in an exemplary manner.
Here we will mention the commissioner, Police Major Kazungu Charles, communal commissioner of Mutimbuzi who received two awards, one from the commune and the other from the governor’s office, two certificates of honor and two envelopes. He plants flowers and trees all around the communal office and the municipal police station with his expenses.