Summary:

On 2 March 2024, Tunisia’s public sector labor union (the Union Générale Tunisienne du Travail (UGTT)) held a large rally at the Kasbah in Tunis in an attempt to send a message regarding broad dissatisfaction with standards of living in the country. 

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The UGTT’s head, Noureddine Taboubi, spoke at the rally, criticizing economic policies that have led to shortages of basic goods. Taboubi attributed this to the administration’s efforts to pay off sovereign debt obligations that have stressed foreign exchange reserves and hampered the government’s ability to consistently provide the numerous subsidized goods that it typically imports. 

Following the rally, the UGTT released an official communication that had been sent to the administration requesting formal dialogue. The UGTT continues to raise concerns about the minimum wage and other impacts on the quality of life of workers. 

Two days before the rally at the Kasbah, a senior UGTT official, Tahar Mezzi, was arrested and then released the following day. The UGTT called the case against Mezzi “fabricated” while the government did not provide additional comments 

Additionally, last week, a legal case against a detained UGTT official responsible for highways progressed, moving from the civil to the criminal courts in another blow to the UGTT. The case relates to charges brought against the official for organization protests that disrupted the operation of Tunisia’s autoroutes. 

Outlook: 

After an extended period of relative calm between the UGTT and President Saied’s administration, the UGTT is once again making its presence felt on the Tunisian political scene. With the President facing an upcoming election, the powerful union likely senses an opportunity to keep its platform at the forefront of policy discussions and messaging prior to the election. 

To this point, the President has avoided provoking the UGTT by rebuffing a $2 billion loan deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The loan deal and its associated required reforms placed the sprawling public sector, which the UGTT represents, in the cross hairs, broadly calling for limiting public spending.  

While President Saied’s determination to avoid complying with “foreign diktats” has likely earned him some good will from the UGTT, the union will continue to play an aggressive role in order to appeal to their massive membership and to maintain their relevance on the political stage. 

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