Maghreb Edition

Tunisia: A Stabilizing Political Environment but not the EconomyF

Posted On 18 July 2014

Number of times this article was read : 302

May 13, 2014 | The North Africa Journal |

Tunisia may be headed toward economic disaster if more money is not raised urgently. Endless labor strikes have had a paralyzing effect on many industrial sectors. In mid-March 2014, four major strikes crippled the economy, starting with the truck drivers who refused to deliver merchandise to businesses for two days.

That has affected the gasoline distribution network. The lorry drivers have reached a temporary agreement with the government, bringing the situation to some level of normalcy for now. In the administration, a strike of the office that issues fiscal stamps has also had a negative impact on economic activity. This is because most administrative and commercial transactions require such stamp to be recognized. Despite an agreement that was reached with the government, the strikers decided to keep the doors of their offices closed. A plea from the UGTT labor union leadership was not enough to convince the strikers to go back to work. Observers close to this specific strike are concerned about the real affiliation of the strikers and are worried that new labor unions competing with the UGTT, namely the CGTT and the UTT may be imposing themselves in ways that could further harm the national economy. Continue here | Click here to subscribe

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The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.