The work examines the internal and external obstacles that limit the effectiveness of union action and have negative effects on the condition of workers. It also highlights the limits that emanate from the strategies of the employers to destroy the protest potential of the union. In addition to these limits, which are external to the trade union movement, there are divisions within the trade union organizations. The work examines the perceptions and different attitudes of workers in relation to their union involvement in this context. It looks at the adaptation strategies implemented by the workers in this context, which further strengthen the dispersion of the labour force that is useful for obtaining an improvement in their working conditions. Keywords: collective action, Burundi, worker, negotiation, union, unionization.