Bujumbura — Two confederations of trade unions have started a three-day strike today. This strike includes civil servants syndicated in COSYBU and CSB. This follows the failure of the government to implement a number of promises including new statutes for civil servants, the set up of a dialogue framework, and the payment of the promised 34 percent increase in salary with retroactivity.

These civil servants went on strike despite the call of the President of the Republic via his spokesman to suspend the protest movement in exchange for a promise that functionaries will have their salaries raised when the state's finances, which are now troubled, get bettered. The spokesman of the President of the Republic, giving details on how the 34&percnt increase will be computed, added that had the former finance minister, Ms. Denise Sinankwa, not paid the Interpetrol Company irregularly, the government would have been able to pay the 34 percent increase to civil servants since July.

The blandishments of the spokesman of the President have not convinced civil servants. The case pitting Interpetrol Company against the government of Burundi concerns six billion francs. This case is now under competent jurisdiction and it is impossible to know which side will win the case. Almost five billion francs are used to pay all civil servants in Burundi monthly.

The strikes that have been staged over the last several months were due mainly to the double standard policy applied in the increase in the salaries of civil servants. Salaries of defence and security forces were increased enormously while other civil servants were left behind.