The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) has called on Tunisian authorities to investigate the recent attacks on its affiliate, the Tunisian General Labour Union UGTT.
General Secretary of ITUC-Africa, Comrade Joel Odigie, in a statement, said that Tunisia, a member of the International Labour Organisation ILO and signatory to ILO Conventions, must ensure that workers and their unions operate without fear of interference, intimidation or harassment.
According to the General Secretary, “A group of individuals, clearly unaffiliated with trade union work, attempted to storm UGTT’s national headquarters at Mohamed Ali Square, chanting hostile and defamatory slogans, including calls for the dissolution of the Union.“
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Describing the act as “cowardly”, Odigie stated that the move was not only an assault on a “historic bastion of democratic resistance in Tunisia” but also a blatant violation of fundamental international labour standards.
“It contravenes ILO Convention No. 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise, which guarantees workers and employers the right to establish and join organisations of their choosing without fear of interference, harassment, or dissolution.
“It also violates ILO Convention No. 98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining, which protects trade unionists from acts of anti-union discrimination and state interference.
“Tunisia, as a member of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), has ratified both of these conventions. As such, it is legally and morally bound to uphold and enforce its provisions,” he said.
Condemning the attack, ITUC-Africa stated that the failure of the Tunisian authorities to prevent or immediately condemn it represents a “grave dereliction of these obligations.”
“ITUC-Africa calls on the Tunisian government to immediately launch a credible and transparent investigation into the events of August 2025, including the incitement to violence, defamation, and attempted assault on UGTT’s headquarters.
“Swiftly identify and bring to justice the perpetrators and those who orchestrated or supported this attack.
“Publicly reaffirm its constitutional and international obligations to protect trade unions, guarantee freedom of association, and ensure the independence of the labour movement from political interference and repression,” Odigie stressed.
He said the Confederation is worried by what he called “the increasing climate of intimidation, repression, and incitement against UGTT, which recalls the violence unleashed by the soi-disant ‘Revolution Protection Leagues’ in 2012 and subsequent years,” saying that the government must take actions to ensure the safety of the organised labour in Tunisia and avoid recurrence.
He commended the UGTT leadership, members and staff for their restraint and “principled” stance, saying that their calm and unwavering commitment to trade union values in the face of provocation affirms UGTT’s historical role in championing democracy, justice, and workers’ rights in Tunisia.
“Should the Tunisian government fail to act, ITUC-Africa will not remain passive. We will mobilise our members and international allies and activate relevant global mechanisms, including the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association, the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR), and other UN and international accountability mechanisms, to demand redress, protection, and justice.
“We stand in solidarity with UGTT. An injury to UGTT is an injury to all trade unionists and democratic forces across the continent.
“The African trade union movement will not relent in the defence of workers’ rights and democratic freedoms in Tunisia and beyond.
“We call on all progressive forces, governments, and institutions committed to democracy and social justice to join us in rejecting repression, impunity, and the erosion of fundamental freedoms,” ITUC-Africa emphasised.