Tunisia: Trade unionist charged with disrupting public services after calling for strike

The Secretary-General of the Tunisian Highways society, Ani Al-Kaabi, was arrested and charged with abusing his position to harm the administration and disrupt a public service, the Tunis Court of First Instance said yesterday.

Al-Kaabi was arrested on Tuesday after calling for strikes in relation to workers’ wages.

“The prosecution of the syndicate’s secretary-general came after two complaints filed against him by the legal representative of the Tunisie Autoroutes Company,” the court said in a statement yesterday.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) denounced the arrest of Al-Kaabi, who is a member of the union

The UGTT said the arrest “represents a blow to trade union work, a violation of trade union rights, and a breach of the international agreements ratified by Tunisia. It is also a violation of the chapters included in the Constitution of the Republic of Tunisia that stipulate respecting trade union freedoms and the right to strike.”

On Tuesday President Kais Saied said that “the trade union right is guaranteed by the constitution, but it cannot turn into a cover for political goals that are no longer hidden to anyone.”

“Anyone who blocks roads or threatens to do so cannot remain outside the circle of accountability,” Saied added.

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