Tunisia: the UGTT trade union center rejects the national dialogue proposed by President Saïed
The powerful UGTT trade union center met in Hammamet on May 23 to make it known that it would not participate in the national dialogue proposed by Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed.
AFP - KHALIL KSIBI
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
The Tunisian General Union, the UGTT, boycotts the national dialogue proposed Friday, May 20 by Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed and announces a general strike.
After assuming full powers in July 2021, the Head of State launched the process of writing a constitution founding "a new republic".
The trade union center denounces a dialogue of appearance.
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It's a snub for the Tunisian president.
By a presidential decree, Kaïs Saïed appointed one of his relatives, the jurist Sadok Belaïd, to head the commission in charge of a constituent mission.
This must develop a new fundamental law for the country
through a “national dialogue”
which totally excludes political parties.
The only interlocutors invited to take part in the elaboration of this text: the five main trade unions in the country.
Among them, the powerful UGTT central.
But the latter rejected this proposal and entered into a standoff: not only does it call for a boycott of the national dialogue, but also for a general strike.
The leadership of the UGTT indeed met on Monday May 23 and the decision at the end of this meeting is clear: according to it, the presidential approach, "
has not been the subject of any prior consultation and does not meet the expectations of the national forces who wish to set up a patriotic process
".
The union therefore refused what it calls “
an appearance dialogue
” aimed, according to him, at “
supporting conclusions decided unilaterally and in advance
”.
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Tunisia
Kais Saied