clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

Tunisia: General Labour Union announces rejection of conditional dialogue

May 7, 2022 at 1:52 pm

Demonstrators take part in a rally outside the headquarters of the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) in Tunis on December 4, 2021 [SOFIENE HAMDAOUI/AFP via Getty Images]

The Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) announced on Friday its rejection of any: “Conditional formalistic dialogue that marginalises the active national political and social forces.”

This came in a statement by the UGTT (the largest labour organisation in Tunisia) and was published on its official Facebook page.

The statement called for: “Agreement on the goals and framework of the dialogue, besides its parties, its subjects, the forms of its implementation, and its agenda before issuing any order for this purpose.”

The statement also demanded that the dialogue be: “Real, direct and extensive with no predetermined decisions or recommendation of conclusions prepared for it in advance.”

The statement considered that despite: “The UGTT’s commitment to dialogue, it delays the calling for it and refuses to provide lessons and warnings.”

READ: Tunisia’s Ennahda blames authorities for threats against opponents

On Thursday, President Kais Saied announced: “The text (decree) relating to dialogue will be issued soon, despite it is unwanted (by parties he did not specify), and the fear from a dialogue that will be a result of the referendum.”

Last January, Saied announced the launching of a national consultation via an electronic platform to enhance citizens’ participation in the democratic transition process. The consultation is to be followed by a popular referendum next July to set out the political and electoral system scheduled for next December.

Since 25 July, 2021, Tunisia has experienced a severe political crisis following exceptional measures that Saied imposed, including the dissolution of parliament, abolition of the body of monitoring the constitutionality of laws, issuing legislation by presidential decrees and the dissolution of the Supreme Judicial Council.

Tunisian forces consider these measures a “coup against the constitution”, while other forces see them as a “correction of the course of the 2011 revolution”, which toppled the rule of former president, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali (1987-2011).

Tunisia's president Kais Saied is bleeding the country - Cartoon [Sabaaneh/Middle East Monitor]

Tunisia’s president Kais Saied is bleeding the country – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/Middle East Monitor]