January 17, 2019: A public sector strike brought Tunisia to a standstill Thursday as workers heeded calls from a powerful trade union to stay home over demands for wage hikes and economic reforms. Across the country, schools were closed, public offices shuttered and transport paralysed after calls for a 24-hour strike by the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT). The union has called for wage hikes for public sector employees to counter the decline in purchasing power due to inflation, which stands at 7.5 percent. In a televised speech Wednesday, Prime Minister Chahed said public finances meant he could not accept the union’s demands, adding that dialogue would continue after the strike. Thursday’s strike was the first to bring together employees from both the public sector and state-owned companies.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 17, 2019 16:41 UTC