Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube

Austerity Measures in Tunisia Result in Nationwide Strike of Public Sector Workers

On Thursday, January 17th the powerful Tunisian General Labor Union, the UGTT, led a 24-hour strike of public sector workers to coincide with the anniversary of the 2011 uprising known as “The Jasmine Revolution”.

Jamila Hammami

January 31, 2019
Facebook Twitter Share

Image: STR/EPA-EFE

This strike followed an earlier one-day stoppage in November 2018. As the main union federation in the country, the UGTT was a vital force in the Jasmine Revolution and again they are fighting for workers’ justice.

The UGTT is demanding that 673,000 state employees, a sixth of Tunisia’s workforce, receive wage increases that are equitable to those provided in 2018. This increase would equate to 270 dinars more per month, or $91, while the government has offered only a measly 80 dinars or $27 per month.

After nearly 100 negotiation meetings there is no settlement; the government remains intransigent while the workers remain determined to win the wages they deserve. And so the workers turned to one of our strongest weapons, the strike.

The strike derailed business as usual across the whole public-sector on Thursday, creating complete chaos in public education, to transportation, air traffic, government offices, hospitals, ports, state media, and more. While the protest was only 24 hours, the UGTT regrouped the following Saturday to discuss escalation tactics until their demands are met.

The UGTT strike and further escalation are in direct response to austerity measures taken by the Tunisian government at the behest of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Like many countries throughout the world in need of loans, the Tunisian ruling class turned to the IMF, which then demanded lower public sector wages to balance the budget. Officially, the UGTT is negotiating with the Tunisian government, but having seen the government repeatedly halt talks to consult with the IMF, the UGTT has requested to negotiate directly with the real power behind the government, the IMF.

Since the strategic regrouping January 19th, the UGTT has criticized the Tunisian government for accepting a 2.4-billion-euro loan which will only lead to additional austerity. UGTT has called for more strikes for February 20 and 21, with the same demands.

The “Jasmine Revolution”, also known as the Tunisian Revolution, was ignited when a fruit street vendor – Tarek el-Tayeb Mohamed Bouazizi – immolated himself in protest of the harassment he received from a municipal officer who refused his right to make a living. This act inspired other Tunisians to rise up in anger against the lack of employment and extensive corruption that has been an ongoing issue in Tunisia for decades. The revolution lasted 28 days, and eventually ousted the president of 23 years, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, on January 14th, 2011. The “Jasmine Revolution” spread across the region, sparking the Arab Spring.

Facebook Twitter Share

Labor Movement

“Our Big Push Was for Union Democracy and a Plan to Win”: An Interview with the Amazon Labour Union Democratic Reform Caucus

Two years after the historic victory at JFK8, Amazon workers voted in a referendum in their union. They want to hold new elections and revise the constitution, as part of a struggle to make ALU more democratic and militant. Left Voice spoke with two organizers to discuss the struggle in ALU.

Luigi Morris

March 20, 2024
A banner reads "Real Wages Or We Strike" at a rally for CUNY, which is experiencing cuts from Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul.

CUNY Faculty and Staff Have Gone One Year Without a Contract — It’s Time to Strike

CUNY workers have been without a new contract for a full year and the university has yet to make any economic offers. It's time to take action.

Olivia Wood

February 29, 2024
Florida governor Ron DeSantis stands at a podium that reds "Higher Education Reform"

U.S. Higher Education Is Being Gutted, but We Can Fight Back

Across the United States, higher education is being gutted through program eliminations and budget cuts. We must prepare to fight these attacks with everything we have.

Olivia Wood

February 28, 2024
CUNY workers at a demonstration hold a banner that reads "STRIKE TO SAVE CUNY."

CUNY Workers Launch New Strike Campaign

As Governor Hochul proposes another $528 million in cuts, workers at the City University of New York are fighting back.

Olivia Wood

February 12, 2024

MOST RECENT

A square in Argentina is full of protesters holding red banners

48 Years After the Military Coup, Tens of Thousands in Argentina Take to the Streets Against Denialism and the Far Right

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Argentina on March 24 to demand justice for the victims of the state and the military dictatorship of 1976. This year, the annual march had renewed significance, defying the far-right government’s denialism and attacks against the working class and poor.

Madeleine Freeman

March 25, 2024

The Convulsive Interregnum of the International Situation

The capitalist world is in a "permacrisis" — a prolonged period of instability which may lead to catastrophic events. The ongoing struggles for hegemony could lead to open military conflicts.

Claudia Cinatti

March 22, 2024

Berlin’s Mayor Loves Antisemites

Kai Wegner denounces the “antisemitism” of left-wing Jews — while he embraces the most high-profile antisemitic conspiracy theorist in the world.

Nathaniel Flakin

March 22, 2024

What “The Daily” Gets Right and Wrong about Oregon’s Move to Recriminalize Drugs

A doctor at an overdose-prevention center responds to The Daily, a podcast produced by the New York Times, on the recriminalization of drugs in Oregon. What are the true causes of the addiction crisis, and how can we solve it?

Mike Pappas

March 22, 2024