Sunday 3 March 2013

Tunisian unions on the front line against fascism

The Tunisian trade unions have been under sustained physical attack from the fascist goons of the Salafists for some time now. Last year at least 3 offices of the UGTT were burnt down by Islamist mobs which prompted an international campaign of condemnation by other trade unions around the world. Things are not getting any better though.

The recent murder of opposition leader Chokri Belaid has led to the arrest of two men, both active in the Salafist movement. According to one source. one of these men is involved in the LPR (League for the Protection of the Revolution), a brutal pro-Islamist militia which is linked to the ruling Ennahda party in particular, but is close to the Salafists.

This comes at a time when the battle for democracy against the backwards influence of the clerical fascists enters a new phase. Currently the Ennahda party is refusing to join 27 other political parties in signing a "Good Governance" at a meeting of the Arab Institute for Human Rights held on 27th February.

Their spokesman Zouber Chehoudi told Tunisia alive  that they had "reservations" about "some aspects" of the charter and went on to say:


“They want to depoliticize mosques and schools. What about unions?” he asked. “I don’t understand their refusal to depoliticize unions.”


An opposition party spokesman for Al Jaumhouri told the press that it was important to organise political activities in a democratic manner. Tunisia Alive quoted him saying:

We refuse violence, and our country is seriously threatened by it,” 

and went on to argue that Mosques were being used as:

“a nest for Salafis to promote extremist concepts such as Jihad.


It is important that Trade Unions around the world do not forget the dangers being faced by their counterparts in Tunisia as clearly they are in the front line in the fight against clerical fascism.

Further reading on the UGTT (General Union of Tunisian Workers) can be found here:

Go to: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/130208/tunisias-main-union-secular-counterweight-islamists

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