- Title: TUNISIA: New freedoms bring strikes
- Date: 14th February 2011
- Summary: VARIOUS OF VOLUNTEERS CLEANING STREET IN CENTRAL TUNIS
- Embargoed: 1st March 2011 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Tunisia, Tunisia
- Country: Tunisia
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA6GG0LEB3H4GSD7SM5WAAYWF9V
- Story Text: Freedom of expression was not tolerated well during Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali's 23-year reign of power in Tunisia, so it may come as no surprise that the flood gates have opened since his departure last month.
Emboldened by their status of becoming the first Arab people to overthrow a dictator in modern history, Tunisians have wasted no time in setting demands for political and economic reforms.
Since anti-government unrest has calmed following a re-shuffle of the cabinet this month that all but ended the former ruling RCD party's grip on power, Tunisian workers have sought to improve their personal livelihoods with strikes demanding for better employment terms, most notably pay.
The strikes have hit employers from all walks of life. Flights have been cancelled at the airport, hotels have been forced to stop serving guests, tourism sites have closed their doors to the few tourists who are in the country, and certain ministries and local authorities have also been hit by strikes.
In the main central Tunis street of Habib Bourghiba, the Africa hotel towers above nearby ministries and hotels, but inside the hotel is empty of guests following a week-long strike.
Chokri el Hammami, a worker at the hotel, said workers had decided to strike for better working conditions.
"We are workers at the Africa hotel "El Mouradi", we have been on strike for a week for some social demands. The most important one for us is to have a permanent contract and I think it's within our rights. We also need better salaries," he told Reuters.
Zina Nammouchi, another worker, echoed Hammami's stance.
"We are about 200 workers who have been on strike for a week, not really the whole week as we worked for the first three days of the week, some stayed on in the lobby and some others looked for (other) work. We are undertaking this strike because we have not found any solution with them (directors of the Africa hotel)," she said.
Strikes may hamper efforts by the interim government to get Tunisia's economy back on track following the weeks of unrest that preceded and followed Ben Ali's fall.
The local municipality's rubbish cleaners are another group who have called for strikes. Not all have undertaken the action, but the majority have stopped working, leaving the scenic streets of the centre of the capital to pile up with rubbish.
Zaid Sboui, a volunteer helping clean the streets, said he didn't believe the time was right for workers to strike.
"Cleaners are on strike, it's one of their rights, but we don't really know if it's the appropriate time to be on strike. It's just a spontaneous reaction to clean streets, this street is one of the famous streets in Tunis and it represents the place," he said.
Last week, the police force went on strike demanding a syndicate that represents their collective interests. The action led to a tense few days in the capital Tunis where mob rule prevailed in some areas before the interior ministry succumbed to the strike demands. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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