A strike by Tunisia’s largest trade union ground the country to a halt despite last-minute attempts by the country’s president, Kais Saied, to prevent it from taking place.
The Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) called for the country’s three million public-sector workers to strike and it said most took part on Thursday, which led to closed airports, public transport, ports, and government offices.
Several hundred employees from state companies gathered in front of the UGTT’s headquarters in the capital Tunis to hold a rally against the Tunisian government’s economic reform plans – the declared reason for the protest.
UGTT supporters carried flags, sang union anthems, and chanted slogans such as “with the union, always looking ahead” and “in our life, in our blood, we are with the union”.
Addressing the crowd, UGTT’s Secretary-General Noureddine Taboubi said 96 percent of union members participated in the strike.
cr: alzajeera
