Tunisian General Labor Union to Hold Strike
The Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT) will organize a strike today to protest President Kais Saied’s policies on spending.
Since his inauguration in 2019, President Saied has employed authoritative measures—such as cracking down against journalists—to strengthen his position in the country, undermining Tunisia’s democratic institutions in the process. Today, the (UGTT) will flock the streets to pressure President Saied to abandon his plans on cutting down spending and demand an increase in worker wages as the country is currently experiencing an economic turmoil.
Today’s strike is expected to be the largest demonstration against Saied’s regime yet. Despite this, expect the strike itself to have a minimal effect on President Saied’s position as he will likely remain reluctant to negotiate terms with Tunisia’s labor unions regarding wages and other working rights. In the meantime, Tunisia’s economic problems will likely worsen during the short-to medium term as the country’s budget deficit is expected to increase due to a global rise in wheat and energy costs. This will in turn, force the country to seek relief in loans from the IMF. However, the ongoing dispute amongst the government and labor unions may likely hinder loan talks with the IMF.
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