Strike over pay paralyses transport within the Tunisian capital
TUNIS, Jan 2 (Reuters) – Metro and bus site visitors in Tunisia’s capital floor to a end on Monday after staff of narrate transport company Transtu held a strike over delays in fee of wages and bonuses.
The strike in Tunis highlights the financial issues confronted by public corporations on the verge of chapter whereas President Kais Saied’s authorities contends with its worst financial crisis.
“The financial self-discipline within the company is of course complex,” said Transtu spokesperson Hayat Chamtouri.
The commercial action is a present of strength for the extremely effective UGTT union, which has pledged to retain a sequence of protests.
The union, with 1 million people, has current a two-day strike by air, land and sea transport staff on Jan. 25 and 26 to insist in opposition to what it called “the authorities’s marginalisation of public corporations”.
Hundreds of Transtu staff staged a insist in Kasbah Square, reach the High Minister’s place of work, demanding fee of cash they’re owed by the company.
They raised slogans such as “we need our rights … we do no longer question for an advantage”.
Monday’s strike is initiating-ended and can continue unless the staff’ demands are met, said UGTT reliable Wajih Zidi, adding that some staff occupy been left unable to pay their money owed.
The bound chaos provoked an wrathful response from some among the many hundreds of of us struggling to circulation round the capital.
“This present day we offer out no longer rep milk, oil, sugar or coffee. Moreover now we offer out no longer rep buses that preserve us to work. Tunisia has turn into an unbearable hell,” said Nejia, a lady ready at a bus station.
In the unhappy Intilaka neighbourhood, of us blocked roads to insist in opposition to the strike.
Tunisia is seeking a $1.9 billion mortgage from the Worldwide Financial Fund in commerce for unpopular reforms including spending cuts, the restructuring of public corporations and reductions to energy and meals subsidies.
Economic system minister Samir Saeed last month said that Tunisia will face a elaborate year, with inflation save to climb above 10%.
The strike will extend stress on the authorities of President Saied, who is going via rising opposition 17 months after seizing government powers in a circulation his opponents described as a coup.
($1=3.1136 Tunisian dinars)
Reporting by Tarek Amara
Editing by David Evans and David Goodman
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