Tunisia: Ennahda supports UGTT strike

Riadh Chaibi, a leader of the Ennahda Movement and advisor to Rached Ghannouchi, described the actions at the Committee of Economic and Social Affairs meetings as “normalising the 25 July coup.”

Chaibi expressed in an interview with Express FM radio: “All those attending the meetings represent the category that agrees to the continuation of the exceptional measures and carrying out the dialogue under the supervision of the coup that took place on 25 July and was legalised on 22 September.”

Chaibi confirmed that the public sector strike, launched on Friday by officials and administrations of public institutions and establishments, is an expression of the social crisis that the country is experiencing.

Chaibi explained that there are several crises: “Social, economic and constitutional and there is no solution to these multiple crises other than the political solution.”

READ: Five parties support the strike of the Tunisian General Labour Union

He stressed: “The need for carrying out a political dialogue on returning to the democratic path, the resumption of the constitutional path and on the most important economic and social choices that will help the country end the crisis.”

Chaibi added that the position of the Ennahda Movement on Friday’s strike is clear. According to Chaibi, its position can only support social demands in increasing purchasing power and the rights of the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), along with all political and social forces to negotiate with the government.

“What is happening now is that the government refuses to engage in dialogue with the UGTT, or at least it is clear that the government is not serious about dialogue and the rest of the other political files,” Chaibi clarified.