Constituted several months ago, the new Tunisian trade union, the CGTT, has not been able, until now, to begin its activities, the authorities refusing to recognize it. Prohibition of a press conference, refusal to recognize the trade unions created in Tunis, Gafsa and Gabès, convocation by the police force of the one of leaders of the new trade union: Habib Guiza, the gestures are multiplied in the direction of a refusal by the Authorities to accept the existence of this Trade union. Confident in the legality of their initiative and in their actions (let us recall here that the Tunisian legislation, following the example of the ILO conventions, does not require prior approval of the authorities for the constitution of trade unions), the leaders of the CGTT seem to plan, if current blocking continues, to submit to the ILO a complaint against the Tunisian government for violation of the international standards as regards trade-union freedom. Will this step be taken during the annual session of the ILO which has just opened in Geneva and which will continue for nearly 3 weeks? It would, in any case, be a major event, the last time that a complaint of this kind was deposed against the government goes back 30 years, to the time of the events of January 26th, 78 and to the attempt at dismantling of which the UGTT was victim.
Attariq El Jadid – Saturday, June 7, 2008 – page 2 (see image above)
الــكنفدرالية الــعــامــة الــتــونــســيــة للــشــغــــــل 