Saied: No rift between Presidency, Labor Union

By Al Mayadeen Net
Source: Agencies
16 Jan 2022 09:38

Tunisia's President confirms communication is ongoing between the presidency and the Tunisian General Labor Union.

The Labor Union had accused Saied of making unilateral decisions concerning the government's new general budget.

Tunisian President Kais Saied denied Saturday the existence of a rift between the Presidency and the Tunisian General Labor Union.

During his meeting with the Secretary-General of the Union, Noureddine Taboubi, Saied stressed the importance of the Union's role and stated that there is ongoing communication between the two sides.

The Tunisian President praised the Union's role on the internal, Arab, and all levels, as well as its positions on all rightful issues, especially liberation from occupation and colonialism, at the forefront of which is the Palestinian cause.

For his part, Taboubi stressed after the meeting that the current stage requires real national solidarity and a lot of wisdom and prudence.

In a statement on the occasion of the 11th anniversary of the Tunisian revolution that toppled Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's regime, the Labor Union had accused Saied of making unilateral decisions concerning the new general budget with no intention to make real change.

The statement read that there is a tendency for exclusivity in most of the fateful decisions, including negotiations with international financial institutions, as well as a growing tendency of hostility toward union work.

Last December, the Tunisian government announced its budget for 2022, with an expected primary deficit of $3 billion, equivalent to 6.7% of the country's GDP.

It is noteworthy that last Friday, Tunisia's capital, Tunis, witnessed protests against Saied's measures, coinciding with the anniversary of the Tunisian revolution.