Tunisian unions call for wide-ranging reforms

UGTT statement on developments in

Tunisia

January 2011

The latest statement by the Tunisian trade union movement is as follows:

The members of the National Administrative Commission of the General Union of Tunisian Workers (GUTW)(*), at their meeting held on 27 January 2011 under the chairmanship of Comrade Abdessalem Jerad, having considered the situation in the country and the position taken by the National Trade Union Centre, in line with political and civil society, and having reviewed the acts of vandalism and the looting of the GUTW premises,

• Condemn the acts of violence and destruction, the target of which were the buildings of the GUTW in some regions of the country and affirm that these acts were carried out by the militia and mercenaries of the Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique (RCD-dissolved ruling party) and retrograde forces;
• Denounce the position taken by some media which attacked the GUTW and demand the restructuring of the audio-visual and written media in the public sector by ensuring their neutrality with respect to the state by stopping their use for political purposes, so that they fulfil their primary function of informing the public on societal issues;
• Pay tribute to all activists and forces who, imbued with the values of justice, democracy and freedom, supported the GUTW and its historic positions based on its commitment to the principles which led to the popular uprising and call for the formation of a government capable of putting into practice those principles, consistent with the new approach - complete break with the past characterised by injustice and oppression - paving the way for true democracy and building a better future based on the dedication to public and individual freedoms and human rights;
• Show respect to all associations and NGOs, political parties, intellectuals as well as national leaders who supported the GUTW positions and its leadership in the face of attempts to undermine the national trade union centre and ransack its premises;
• Warn against the violent acts of the militia who want to harm the rights acquired by the GUTW, trade unionists and workers by sowing disorder and by doubting the ability and willingness of the population to protest in a peaceful and civilized manner;
• Call upon all trade unionists and workers to safeguard businesses and production sites;
• Call for the reform of laws in order to abolish brokering firms and trading in workers and demand the integration of workers into the core staff of the companies concerned as well as the implementation of fundamental reforms of labour and education laws and health policies;
• Call for the re-composition, in consultation with the GUTW and civil society, of the three commissions looking into political reforms for the country, embezzlements and corruption of the Benali regime and abuses committed in the course of the disturbances which shook the country, in order to ensure effective representation of all political and intellectual currents in the said commissions;
• Call upon the Government to take the initiative to establish a Council of Revolution by launching a consultation immediately on its remit, organisation and methods of action in order to fill the legislative vacuum;
• Express solidarity with the participants in the sit-in on the Kasbah Square who call into question the composition of the current Government and demand radical political, social and economic reforms;
• Call for continued consultation with the GUTW on the formation of the government in transition under the leadership of Mr. Mohammed Ghannouch as Prime Minister, including the Minister of Development and that of Industry and replacing with technocrats all other ministers who were part of the deposed President's cabinet.

The members of the National Administrative Commission approve the last proposal in the light of all the above demands.

Long live workers' struggle for freedom, equality, democracy and human rights!

Jerad Abdessalem

General Secretary

[Translated by the TUC from the French]

(*) Union Générale Tunisienne du Travail (UGTT)