The Labor Union organized the protest against the backdrop of the prosecution of trade unionists, the disruption of dialogue with the authorities, and the deterioration of freedoms (Al Jazeera)

Tunisia -

During the protest organized today, Saturday, by the Tunisian General Labor Union, in front of the government building, the Secretary-General of the Union, before delivering his speech to the protesters, addressed the wife of trade unionist Anis Al-Kaabi, who has been in prison for about a year, saying, “Everyone will go (to prison), not just Anis Al-Kaabi.” .

This was not the only statement uttered by the Secretary-General of the Union, Noureddine Taboubi, in front of thousands of protesters in Government Square in the capital, to talk about the growing judicial prosecutions and prison sentences against a number of trade unionists. He sarcastically called on trade unionists to prepare themselves for the possibility of being imprisoned.

Anis Kaabi held the position of general secretary at the Tunisian Highway Company. He was arrested last year following a strike at toll stations on highways to demand higher wages. After that arrest, a number of trade unionists were subjected to a series of arrests and prosecutions on corruption and other charges.

Two days ago, the security authorities arrested the Assistant Secretary-General of the Labor Union, Al-Taher Al-Barbari, before releasing him, against the backdrop of a case filed against him for “making gains and wasting public money” as a result of his full-time union work. This charge also pursued a number of other unionists “who have become targets of the authorities.” They say.

The Labor Union considers that the current political authority has failed to manage the country due to its monopoly in power (Al Jazeera)

Unique rule

The Labor Union represents the largest union organization in the country, and one of the four parties that won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for sponsoring the national dialogue to get the country out of the political crisis at the time.

The protest organized by the Union comes against the backdrop of “the persecution of trade unionists, the disruption of dialogue with the authorities, and the deterioration of freedoms,” as he described it, and after the throwing of many trade unionists in prisons, on charges that the Union considers malicious, to undermine union rights, the monopolization of President Kais Saied in power, the disruption of social dialogue, and the government’s refusal to implement Previous agreements to improve the financial conditions of workers, and the deteriorating living conditions in the country.

The Labor Union also considers that “the current political authority has not learned from the previous mistakes committed by successive governments after the revolution, and that it has failed to manage the country due to its monopolization of governance and its pursuit of a unilateral path with the aim of returning the country to the square of tyranny and suppression of freedoms.”

Initially, the Labor Union was not opposed to the exceptional measures taken by President Kais Saied on July 25, 2021, according to which he dissolved Parliament and overthrew the Ennahda Movement, the most prominent party ruling the country after the revolution, but it revised its position and was no longer supportive of President Saied for his political and economic choices. .

Secretary-General Nour El-Din Taboubi said today to the protesters that “the opportunity for July 25 has begun to fade, as a result of the unilateral approach that President Saied took,” criticizing President Saied’s speeches, which he considered “speeches of division, betrayal, distortion, and incitement of public opinion against the Labor Union, its trade unionists, and its activists.” ".

He added that "the Labor Union will not accept threatening and menacing letters coming from the authority," in a message that opens the door to an open conflict between the Labor Union and the authority, at a time when the country is experiencing a political crisis, and the continued imprisonment of a number of the most prominent opposition leaders, on charges of conspiracy against State Security.

The Labor Union did not initially reject the exceptional measures taken by President Kais Saied in July 2021 (social networking sites)

Open conflict

Al-Taboubi criticized what he considered a “fierce attack by the authorities,” due to the union’s positions rejecting President Saied’s path, rejecting the growing infringements on rights and freedoms, and rejecting what he considers “spreading a climate of terror and fear, to silence the mouths and restrict freedom of expression and opinion, and to attack the independence of the judiciary and others.”

Al-Taboubi rejected the allegations that the Labor Union did nothing against the authority for fear of raising corruption files against its leaders, stressing that “the Union had a wise national spirit of calm, in light of the dangerous and difficult turns that the country is going through, but the authority considered this weakness.”

No one knows what the outcome of the open conflict between the Labor Union and the authority led by President Kais Saied will be, in light of the continued interruption of communication and the disruption of social dialogue between the two parties, but the leaders of the Labor Union confirm that they will take all forms of struggle to defend all the gains of rights and freedoms.

On the other hand, supporters of President Kais Saied assert that he “made the right decision to corner the Labor Union,” blaming the Labor Union - especially after the revolution - for the reasons for the deterioration of economic and social conditions, for the growth of strikes in all sectors, which affected production, growth, investment and employment.

They accuse the Labor Union of what they considered “sabotaging public facilities, such as health, education, transportation, etc.,” as well as “flooding the public job with assignments due to nepotism and corruption.” They also accuse its leaders of obtaining benefits, as a result of full-time union dedication and failure to carry out the responsibilities entrusted to them in their jobs.

Source: Al Jazeera