Social Dialogue in Tunisia is Contingent on Resuming Democratic Transition - Salaheddine El Jourchi
Social Dialogue in Tunisia is Contingent on Resuming Democratic Transition - Salaheddine El Jourchi
For years, social dialogue has been discussed in Tunisia without tangible and practical results. The parties concerned with this dialogue, namely the government, the Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT), and the Federation of Industry and Trade, continue to emphasize its importance and necessity. However, more than three years into the country's political crisis, progress has yet to be made to transform these good intentions into practical steps and set a clear agenda and firm dates for the dialogue's resumption.
Social dialogue in Tunisia is not new. Its history dates back to the independence period. However, it continued to be subject to the political factors that are supposed to activate and organize the dialogue or place obstacles and impediments in its path. Whenever an economic and social crisis erupts and conflicting interests appear, state officials realize the seriousness of the situation and take the usual initiative to call for dialogue and work to direct it and control its results.
The Social Dialogue Council was established in this context as an advisory council responsible for organizing and managing social dialogue on social and economic issues. It was based on Law No. 54, issued on July 24, 2017, defining its nature, roles, and internal structures. However, seven years have passed, and the Council has yet to be used or enabled to determine the country's future steps.
Moreover, despite the structural economic and social crisis the country has been experiencing, especially recently, the authorities have yet to act to bring together the parties involved in social dialogue, and there has been no discussion of how to manage this crisis and mitigate its serious repercussions.
The current growth rate is around 0.2 percent, and the unemployment rate has exceeded 16 percent. In addition, the astonishing rise in prices and the severe shortage of essential goods in the markets have created a dangerous state of social tension. The authorities admit that the Tunisian economy has yet to recover from the harsh effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Successive governments have tried to push for “rethinking the structure of the world of work in Tunisia to ensure a successful recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic.” These governments have recognized that social dialogue can be “a lever for economic and social recovery.” However, this official discourse has not been translated into a clear and binding policy for all, and these steps have remained faltering and without follow-up.
Thus, UGTT Secretary General Noureddine al-Tabboubi recently said that social dialogue "represents a gain and cannot be reversed no matter the cost." He then stressed that establishing this dialogue cannot be done through "conditional negotiations," referring to the conditions the authorities want to set before starting the dialogue.
Political instability has contributed to the tension and created a state of contraction and mistrust between the parties. In this context, five heads of government have been appointed over the past five years, i.e., one head of government per year, leading to successive changes in the ministers of economy and social affairs, primarily concerned with social dialogue.
With the recent appointment of Kamel Maddouri as the new head of government, he is expected to give particular importance to the issue of social dialogue despite his limited powers. Two months before his appointment as head of government, he confirmed that the recent crises "revealed the interconnectedness between economies and societies and the growing economic imbalances linked to demographic transformations, technological developments, climate change, geopolitical tensions, and the exacerbation of forced migration." Given his positive relationship with the unions, he is expected to play some role in bridging the gap between President Saied, who is committed to his monopoly on power, and the UGTT leadership.
President Saied refused to allow unions to participate in managing public affairs. He decided to limit the role of the UGTT and worked to reduce its political presence following his vision of rejecting intermediary bodies that adhere to their independence.
Circular No. 20, issued on December 9, 2021, restricted UGTT's movement and set the conditions and controls for negotiating with unions. It imposed prior coordination with the Prime Minister and prevented ministers from starting negotiations with unions in public service and public institutions and facilities without prior permission.
Although UGTT objected to this circular and resorted to various forms of escalation on the ground, the head of state insisted on his position. He did not back down an inch from his decision, which many considered a temporary submission of UGTT to the de facto policies imposed by Saied on everyone since he took power alone and halted the path of democratic transition in Tunisia. Saeid believes the country is waging a "national liberation war" and that he is working to save it from poverty, corruption, and "enemies of the state" at home and abroad to protect national sovereignty. This outlook requires gathering forces and organizations and activating dialogue mechanisms to formulate a new social contract.
On this basis, UGTT Secretary-General Noureddine Taboubi recently called for launching a social dialogue that he described as "honest, fair, and purposeful." He linked the dialogue to the protection of "the right to unionize as a gain," stating in particular that "it is not possible to talk about a right to unionize as long as there is no talk about human rights, freedom of expression, freedom of organization, and freedom of intellectual creativity."
Accordingly, social dialogue in Tunisia seems paralyzed due to the lack of political will that considers the independence of social parties and their right to defend their members without injustice that threatens the public economy and endangers national sovereignty. Consequently, social dialogue remains postponed pending the resumption of "democratic transition."
Salaheddine El Jourchi
