Tunisia to implement Deals reached with UGTT

Tunisia to implement deals reached with UGTT

Tunisian employment minister, Nassreddine Nsibi says the government is committed to implementing any deals it reaches with the country’s powerful ‘UGTT’ union, such as the minimum wage – even as the country faces a financial crisis.

Tunisia last week resumed talks with the International Monetary Fund.

International donors have also raised the need for broad support within Tunisia for reforms to help tackle corruption and waste; Government is likely to need the backing of the UGTT, which represents one million workers and wield huge political clout, to secure an IMF deal.

On Monday, Prime Minister Najla Bouden and the government met with Noureddine Taboubi, the head of the UGTT, and other union officials to discuss the situation.

“There is an agreement that the government will implement previous agreements, including the minimum wage. We will announce the details soon.” Nsibi told a news conference at the governmental palace.

Taboubi said that the first meeting with the government was positive and that agreements will be issued later.

The government last year approved a plan to raise the wages of about 700,000 employees in the public sector in addition to raising the national minimum wage.

The IMF has urged Tunisia to slash subsidies and its bloated public sector wage bill, however, as well as privatise loss-making state-owned enterprises.

Adding to the government’s problems, the UGTT last week rejected the idea of cutting subsidies, a stance that will complicate its efforts to reach a deal with the IMF.

Reuters/Shakirat Sadiq