The General Labour Union (UGTT) in Tunisia has accused the authorities of using the media to damage its reputation in the eyes of the public.
“Many have asked: Where is the union, where is the secretary-general, and where is the official spokesman? Behind this question is often a conscious, responsible desire calling for the union to play its historical role, but some ask this question to cast doubt, undermine our credibility and feed rumours,” said UGTT spokesman Sami Tahri on Facebook.
“There are instructions from the government, in addition to self-censorship by some media institutions to avoid inviting any UGTT official and using their platforms to attack the union,” added Tahri. “We will rely on our own means to convey our voice, and we call on union members to use all means to lift the siege, prevent restrictions, and overcome the blackmail of the private media.”
The union official claimed that privately-owned media outlets in Tunisia are themselves subject to blackmail. All unions and their members, he said, should reject the transformation of public media into government/presidential media, noting that the blackout policy is applied by the authorities to all opposition voices.
The UGTT’s relationship with President Kais Saied has been volatile. The union was quick to support his “exceptional measures” in 2021, enabling him to monopolise power in the country, but later accused the authorities of trying to target it.