Several thousand Tunisian trade unionists demonstrated on Saturday, including in Sfax in the center-east of the country, to protest against the arrest of one of their leaders, as well as against the deteriorating economic situation. "Tunisia is not for sale" or "no to the removal of subsidies," chanted protesters in Sfax, an important economic metropolis and historic bastion of Tunisian trade unionism. Some waved breadsticks in protest at the soaring cost of living.
At the call of the powerful UGTT trade union centre, other demonstrations took place in other cities such as Kairouan (centre), Nabeul (north-east) or Tozeur (south). "The government has failed to put the country on the path of economic and social reforms. All he managed to do was attack the union," UGTT leader Othman Jallouli said in a speech in Sfax. "Today, any trade unionist can be fired simply for expressing an opinion," he said.
A trial on February 23
Coming to bring "solidarity on the part of 45 million workers in Europe", the general secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, Esther Lynch, also addressed the crowd in Sfax. "We say to governments: don't touch our unions, release our leaders," she said.
The demonstrators were protesting against the arrest at the end of January of Anis Kaabi, head of the highway branch of the UGTT. He is in pre-trial detention pending a trial scheduled for 23 February for launching a toll strike and causing financial losses to the state-owned company Tunisie Autoroutes. The UGTT, which considers itself "targeted" by Tunisian President Kais Saied, had announced for the coming weeks sit-ins and rallies against the policies of the head of state, which should culminate in a march in Tunis on March 11.
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