Tunisia's major labour union declares general strike on 16 June

Tuinisian workers of UGTT (General Union of Tunisian Workers) attend the opening of the union’s 23rd congress in the capital Tunis [FETHI BELAID/AFP via Getty Images]

Tunisia’s powerful UGTT labour union has declared a general strike on 16 June in protest of the government’s refusal to reform public companies, Anadolu News Agency reports.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Union said the strike was called “over government’s unwillingness to reform public companies”.

It said the general strike will cover 159 public institutions in the country.

Tunisia faces its worst financial crisis and is seeking a $4 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The UGTT, which has more than a million members, calls for wage increases for state workers as inflation reached a record level of 7.5 per cent in April, from 7.2 per cent in March and 7 per cent in February.

Tunisia has been in the throes of a deep political crisis since 25 July, 2021, when President Kais Saied dismissed the government, suspended parliament and assumed executive authority, in a move decried by opponents as a “coup.” He later dissolved the parliament in March, after lawmakers held a session to revoke his measures.

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