Tunisia’s UGTT reaffirms plans for general strike amid dispute with authorities

The Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) has reaffirmed plans to hold a nationwide general strike and called on its regional and sectoral branches to prepare for further action amid growing tensions with the government.

The union’s administrative body said it remained committed to the general strike, although a date has not yet been set.

According to the UGTT, the timing will be determined following consultations with other professional and civil society organizations, including the Tunisian Bar Association and the Tunisian League for the Defence of Human Rights.

The union said it was closely monitoring Tunisia’s political, economic and social conditions and called for preparations for various forms of trade union action.

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It described the general strike as a binding decision reflecting the position of the organization and its members and called for preparations aimed at maintaining internal unity and ensuring the effectiveness of the planned action.

The UGTT’s administrative body also authorized its National Executive Bureau to develop a program of escalating action leading up to the general strike, in coordination with civil society organizations.

The union said the campaign would focus on economic and social rights as well as public and individual freedoms.

Regional unions, sectoral federations and individual trade unions have been instructed to develop their own action plans in coordination with the broader national strategy.

The announcement follows consultations launched by the UGTT and other organisations over Tunisia’s political and socioeconomic situation. The groups said last week that they intended to develop joint national action focused on protecting rights and freedoms.

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