Over 750,000 Tunisian public sector and government workers went on a 24 hour strike demanding better pay to keep the pace with Tunisia’s 7.5% inflation.
In a show of solidarity, government workers were also on strike despite having already received a pay rise last October.
The strike developed calmly and all parties, including the UGTT, the government, security forces and civilians were congratulated for the successful outcome of a peaceful strike.
The UGTT has since called for further strikes on February 20 and 21, demanding larger public sector wage increases.
“We don’t want to strike for the sake of striking,” said UGTT General Secretary Nouredine Taboubi said in an interview Monday.
“We have announced another strike in a month, in the hope that we’ll find a compromise. But not at any price.”
Public sector employees make up around a quarter of Tunisia’s workforce.
The UGTT has demanded higher public sector pay rises from the government, as well as guarantees of protection from privatisation for Tunisia’s many publicly owned companies.
