Thousands of members and supporters of Tunisia’s General Labour Union (UGTT) took to the streets in what was one of the biggest recent political demonstrations in the capital, to protest against declining union rights and civic freedoms.
The march went along Habib Bourguiba Avenue, the site of the 2011 protests which led to the fall of President Ben Ali and the Arab Spring.
UGTT Secretary-General Noureddine Taboubi spoke out against “threats and smear campaigns” targeting the union and asked for the release of political prisoners as well as fair trials.
He gave prominence to the union’s commitment to workers’s rights in spite of heavy pressure from the authorities.
Protesters were chanting such slogans as “The right to struggle is a duty” and airing their fears of a rising poverty that would lead to hunger.
The protest came after a UGTT strike over wages which forced the cessation of national transport services and exposed the deepening of Tunisia’s economic crisis.
The demonstration further antagonized the conflict between the UGTT and President Kais Saied, who took over with great authority in 2021 by closing down parliament and issuing a ruling by decree.
Supporters of him had previously gathered outside UGTT headquarters and called on him to take action against the union.
The government authorities refrained from any immediate reaction to the protest and followed their usual way of limited involvement with opposition activities. The UGTT is still an influential force in the Tunisian society and its connection with Saied’s administration is important, as the economic problems are still affecting the people all over the country.
