The Tunisian General Labour Union (French: UGTT) Saturday staged a rally and a march which set off from Mohamed Ali Square in Tunis to Habib Bourguiba Avenue.

Protesters chanted slogans denouncing restrictions on trade union freedoms and urging authorities to stop targeting their organisation.

They also decried price hikes and the deterioration of living conditions, voicing endorsement of the UGTT’s choice to steer the country out of the economic and social crisis.

The protest is held at a time when stands of the labour union and the government are diverging, mainly on economic and social reforms.

The UGTT denounced a tendency shown by the government to move towards removing subsidies, especially as the 2023 Finance Law provides for slashing subsidies for food products and energy expenses by 33% and 26%, respectively.

Meanwhile, it expressed commitment to dialogue to chart a way out of the crisis.

SOURCE: AGENCE TUNIS AFRIQUE PRESSE