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The powerful Tunisian trade union centre UGTT announced a nationwide public sector strike on June 16 to protest against soaring inflation and prevent the privatisation of major state-owned companies
The powerful Tunisian trade union centre UGTT announced a nationwide public sector strike on June 16 to protest against soaring inflation and prevent the privatisation of major state-owned companies. Coming at a time the country is facing numerous economic crises and the government is counting on the support of the General Union of Tunisian Workers (UGTT) for the reform programme it has submitted to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the hope of obtaining new credit, the proposed strike is creating consternation in the government quarters.
The union accused President Kais Saied of undermining the principles of negotiation and reneging on previous agreements. The inflation is at 7.5% in April (over one year). All the staff of the 159 institutions and public enterprises will stop work in order to obtain immediate negotiations to restore the purchasing power of Tunisians, the trade union leaders said.
The union is asking for guarantees that public companies, many of which are monopolies will not be privatised. The government has submitted a reform plan to the IMF that includes a freeze on the civil service wage bill, a gradual reduction of some state subsidies, and restructuring of state-owned enterprises. However, the IMF wants these promises to be supported by the social partners, including the UGTT, to ensure their implementation.
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Tunisia, shaken by a deep political crisis after President Saied’s July 25 coup, is asking for about US$4 billion in aid, the third in 10 years for the country that was the birthplace of the Arab Spring. The rating agency Fitch deplored tensions between the government and the UGTT were holding up negotiations with the IMF, saying it was “very difficult” to “adopt political and economic reforms without the support of the UGTT. As reported by www.trendsnafrica.com, the UGTT announced its refusal to participate in a “national dialogue” process launched by Saied, which excluded political parties.
