Ericsson Tunisia workers win new collective agreement securing rights and benefits amid corporate restructuring

In a major victory for workers’ rights and trade union strength, employees at Ericsson Tunisia have secured a landmark collective bargaining agreement (CBA) following a complex, two-and-a-half-year negotiation process. The agreement ensures that workers transferring from the former Branch Office (BTN) to the newly created local entity ETN (Ericsson Tunisie) retain their full employment history and rights, while gaining significant new benefits.

The agreement was reached thanks to the unwavering commitment of the union—where an extraordinary 46 of the 47 transferred workers are members—and with the dedicated support of UNI Global Union and the UGTT’s General Federation of Information Technologies and Services. What began as a concern that experienced workers could be reclassified as “new hires”—with no job security and a risk of dismissal—ended in a collective victory that now stands as a model for worker protections amid corporate restructuring.

“This is more than a leave package—it is a full collective agreement that goes beyond national provisions to become a true Ericsson company agreement,” Keith Jacobs, Regional Secretary of UNI Africa. “It sets a precedent for how multinational transitions can and must protect workers’ rights, and it proves once again the power of union solidarity.”

The agreement includes:

• Recognition of full employment history for all transferring workers, protecting seniority and accrued rights
• A 10% salary increase for all employees
• An additional month’s salary annually, raising the total to 14 months’ pay per year
• Clear layoff conditions and protections
• A financial guarantee by Ericsson LME in case of any future instability at ETN

UNI Global Union commends the Ericsson Tunisia union members for their determination, and Ericsson for ultimately engaging in a meaningful negotiation process that respected the workers’ voices.