Tunisian Labor Union Secretary-General, Noureddine Taboubi, pointed out – during a speech on December 3rd, 2022, commemorating the 70th anniversary of the assassination of trade union leader Farhat Hashad – that the union had previously warned President Qais Saeed regarding the impact of his current political trajectory, which will lead to ” disintegration and fragmentation.” These statements marked a shift in the position of the Tunisian Labor Union from support to strong opposition to the policies of President Saeed. The Union’s new position can be explained by a number of factors, including:
Lack of consultations with the union: The main motivation for expressing opposition to President Saeed and the current government headed by Naglaa Boudin, is the latter’s refusal to enter into national dialogue with the various social and political forces that originally supported the measures, including the Labor Union. The President has refused to consult the union regarding the proposed political and constitutional reforms. This includes the new constitution ratified by popular referendum last July. Although the union announced its support of the new constitution, it later reversed its position, on the grounds that the constitution consecrated individual rule.
Taboubi declared the union’s objections to the current political trajectory because President Saeed has refused to provide guarantees that he will not continue this form of one-man-rule. This has prompted the President to exclude the Union from the process of political and constitutional reform. This angered Taboubi, who declared that the President does not have the power to put limits on the Union’s activities.
Union Objection to 2023 Budget Law: The union rejected recent amendments to the budget law for the year 2023, which included the imposition of additional taxes, especially on workers in the public sector and government agencies. The union noted that these new taxes will increase the suffering of workers and state employees in light of the recent decline in purchasing power. Economic conditions are expected to deteriorate as the International Monetary Fund projects a decline in remittances of Tunisians working abroad from USD 2.2 billion in 2021 to USD 2 billion by the end of this year. This will negatively impact the country’s gross domestic product, given that these transfers are one of the main sources of foreign currency for the Tunisian economy.
Poor government performance: The Tunisian Labor Union has called for an extensive ministerial reshuffle, as the current government headed by Naglaa Boudin has been unsuccessful in resolving urgent economic and social crises. The union has threatened to organize a large popular protest, in objection to the levying of new taxes and deteriorating economic and living conditions.
The escalating opposition by the Tunisian General Labor Union comes in the context of significant political and economic turbulence, illustrated by:
Growing opposition to the president: “Ennahda” movement and the “National Salvation Front” continue to mobilize the Tunisian street to demonstrate and protest against the recent political and economic reforms undertaken by the president. The opposition continues its calls to boycott the parliamentary elections scheduled for December 17th, with a mass demonstrations held in the capital, Tunis, on December 10th, demanding the overthrow of the current regime, the departure of President Saeed, and the formation of a national salvation government to run the country’s affairs. The opposition accuses the president of trying to confer legitimacy on his monopolization of power and allowing economic and social crises to deteriorate.
A boycott of upcoming parliamentary elections: Twelve political parties have announced their intension to boycott the upcoming elections on December 17th, including “Ennahda” movement, “Qalb Tounes”, the “Dignity Coalition”, the “Democratic Current”, and the “Free Constitution”. Five political parties, namely “Labor”, “Republican”, “Democratic Current”, “Al-Takatol”, and “Al-Qutb”, issued a joint statement on December 3rd announcing they would not be participating, as they will not be held based on party lists, but the election of individual candidates, which reduces the chances of political parties. The decision was also driven by the parties’ objection to reducing the number of seats in parliament from 217 to 161. Furthermore, the new constitution, drafted without consulting political parties and forces, is likely to result, from their point of view, in a weak parliament which does not have the power to hold the head of state accountable.
A divided opposition: The political opposition is characterized by division and divergence of orientations. This has led to accusatory exchanges, such as the “Free Constitution Party” accusing the Tunisian Labor Union of taking weak positions and acquiescing to the President’s monopolization of power. Head of the party, Abeer Moussa, accused the leaders of the Labor Union of pursuing their own political objectives. The Party’s attack on the union may be related to the latter’s refusal to form an alliance with the political parties, as Union leaders feel the parties are at the root of the current political crisis. The Union also rejects what it views as attempts by “Ennahda” to obtain external support in order to return the country to the status quo which preceded July 25th.
Escalating rhetoric
After initially supporting the political and constitutional reform measures adopted by President Saeed, including the constitution ratified by popular referendum, the President’s insistence on continuing his unilateral decision-making style has led the Labor Union to adopt a discourse of sharp opposition, threatening to incite popular demonstrations to bring down the current government and stop the president’s monopoly on power.
The escalating opposition of both the Tunisian Labor Union and the political parties and forces to the President, with the “Salvation Front” accusing him of normalizing relations with Israel, is likely to further destabilize the political situation. President Saeed in turn responded by accusing the opposition of being the cause of the current economic crisis. He declared the Tunisian People therefore wish to rid themselves of these parties. His insistence on continuing to implement his political roadmap, and to hold elections while ignoring the demands of the opposition has led to this escalation.
This tense confrontation is likely to continue until the scheduled legislative elections are held. While the President believes that the stance of the political parties will have little effect, the Labor Union’s opposition and mobilization efforts could in fact decrease the level of turnout for these elections.