Tunisia’s highly effective commerce unions reject the December polls and assault the president’s agenda

Tunisia’s highly effective commerce union attacked the president’s political and financial agenda on Saturday, together with elections this month, and stated it will now not settle for what it known as a risk to democracy in its clearest problem to him but.

The UGTT union says it has greater than 1,000,000 members and has confirmed able to crippling the economic system with strikes. It has at instances supported President Kais Saied after he seized a lot of the powers final yr, however at different instances has expressed tepid opposition.

“We no longer accept the current path because of its ambiguity and individual rule, and the unpleasant surprises it hides for the fate of the country and democracy,” UGTT chief Noureddine Taboubi stated in a speech to hundreds of supporters.

“We will not hesitate to defend rights and freedoms at any cost,” he added, in his strongest criticism but of the president.

Saied closed the elected parliament final yr and switched to ruling by decree earlier than writing a brand new structure that was adopted this summer time in a low-turnout referendum, establishing elections for a brand new, weakened legislature on December 17.

>> Tunisia’s referendum: Victory for ‘sure’ vote, however failure for revolution

Most political events are boycotting the vote, saying the brand new parliament could have no energy and flawed procedures determined by the president, which embody placing the electoral fee below his purview.

Taboubi stated the December election “would have no color and flavor” on account of Saied’s structure and that the vote lacked nationwide unity.

The president’s critics have denounced his actions as a coup and have held repeated avenue protests. Saied says his actions had been crucial to avoid wasting Tunisia.

Though the UGTT has expressed considerations prior to now, it has stopped in need of brazenly opposing his agenda, other than a strike in the summertime over wages and cuts.

This yr, because the economic system worsened, the brand new authorities Saied appointed angered the UGTT by proposing subsidy cuts and restructuring of state-owned enterprises in a push for an IMF bailout wanted to stave off nationwide chapter.

“We will not follow secret agreements the government has with the International Monetary Fund and the workers will stand up against it,” Taboubi stated.

(Reuters)