Tunisia: 1,500 bakeries suspend production

Tunisia’s Union of Bakers announced yesterday the suspension of its bread-making activities in all their bakeries beginning today, Anadolu Agency reported.

The decision came following a meeting of the Union’s national executive bureau. No reason was given for the cessation in activity or how long the bakers the suspension would be in place.

There was no immediate comment by the authorities on the decision.

Tunisia has, for months, suffered from a shortage of bread that has caused long queues outside bakeries.

In December last year, thousands of bakeries closed their doors as part of a general strike to demand the government pay their dues in the context of subsidising the baking industry.

Tunisia had issued a plan to start the gradual abolition of bread subsidies over a four-year period.

Tunisia had been experiencing a deep financial crisis which has caused frequent shortages of basic products such as sugar, milk and rice, coinciding with an accelerating inflation rate of 9.8 per cent, according to official figures issued in early December.

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