Summary:

On 28 October 2024, employees of the Tunisian Chemical Group in Medhila, Gafsa (GCT) organized a protest in front of the Gafsa government offices to express discontent with their current contracts.  

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The employees called for the end of their subcontracted employment arrangement which impacts 206 GCT employees, some of whom have been working under a subcontract for nearly ten years. 

The protesters called for the adoption of regular contracts with GCT that they assert would ensure more stable and equitable working conditions. The protesters referred to President Kais Saied’s instructions to end the use of subcontracts by public companies and to forbid this type of hiring practice in the future. 

Outlook: 

This labor protest in Gafsa is the latest in a series of organized labor actions by employees of phosphate-producing companies in Gafsa which reflects the unresolved labor issues that continue to thwart the development of this sector in Tunisia. 

Protests over subcontracts as well as payment delays and environmental issues are likely to keep Tunisia’s phosphate sector in a fragile state as the government struggles to implement permanent solutions. 

The latest protest also points to ongoing roadblocks to implementing President Saied’s directives regarding the end of subcontracting employment contracts in public companies. While the President’s message was popular among the employees of various companies, the government has been unable to quickly resolve the issues at a local level. 

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