Tunisia: 96% of workers take part in phosphate sector strike

A Tunisian union source said yesterday that 96 per cent of workers participated in a strike demanding increased wages in the phosphate sector in the Gafsa mining basin in the southwest of the country, Anadolu reported.

“The strike achieved a participation rate exceeding 96 per cent,” said Reem Hilal, secretary-general of the General Federation of Mines which falls under the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT).

In remarks to Anadolu, Hilal added: “A strike is not an end but a means. When we submit demands to defend workers’ rights and adhere to legal deadlines for negotiations, yet receive no response from the authorities, the action becomes necessary.”

She continued: “Today, we concluded the strike with a workers’ gathering at the regional headquarters of the UGTT in Gafsa.”

The strike, which began on Wednesday, lasted two days and involved employees of the

Gafsa Phosphate Company. It was staged in protest against stalled negotiations with the company’s management and representatives of relevant ministries over demands outlined in a professional list, some dating back to 2019.

The striking workers are calling for wage increases in line with the inflation rates recorded in recent years, alongside demands they describe as fundamental rights.

The Gafsa Phosphate Company, established in 1897, is a state-owned enterprise.

Although Tunisia holds vast phosphate reserves, production fell in 2022 to approximately four million tonnes, down from 8.2 million tonnes in 2010.

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