In protest of the government’s refusal to reform public companies, Tunisia’s powerful UGTT labor union has declared a general strike for June 16.
The union said the strike was called “over government’s unwillingness to reform public companies,” in a statement on Tuesday.
The general strike will cover 159 public institutions in the country, it said.
Tunisia faces its worst financial crisis and is seeking a $4 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
With more than a million members, the UGTT calls for wage increases for state workers as inflation reached a record level of 7.5 percent in April, from 7.2 percent in March and 7 percent in February.
Since July 25, 2021, when President Kais Saied dismissed the government, suspended parliament, and assumed executive authority, Tunisia has been in the throes of a deep political crisis.
The move was decried by his opponents as a “coup.” He later dissolved the parliament in March after lawmakers held a session to revoke his measures.
