Tunisia’s union leader urges defense of UGTT after presidential attacks

Thursday 11 September 2025 - 09:00

By: Sahili Aya

Tunisia’s union leader urges defense of UGTT after presidential attacks

The head of Tunisia’s most powerful trade union, the UGTT, urged members and supporters on Monday to “defend the organization and its values” after protesters — backed by President Kais Saied — gathered outside the union’s headquarters accusing it of corruption.

“We will not be silenced,” declared UGTT Secretary-General Noureddine Taboubi during an emergency leadership meeting, describing the demonstration as an attempted assault on the union’s offices.

Founded in 1946, the UGTT has played a historic role in Tunisia’s political and social life. It was a co-laureate of the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize for helping steer the country’s democratic transition after the 2011 revolution.

The latest tensions erupted when dozens of demonstrators rallied in central Tunis with placards denouncing the union as a “mafia” and calling for its leaders’ resignation. President Saied later voiced support for the protesters, insisting they had no intention of storming the building, but demanded accountability from the union regarding alleged financial mismanagement.

In response, Taboubi rejected the accusations, stressing that “anyone with a case should turn to the courts — we are not above the law,” framing the matter as one of dignity and honor.

Several civil society groups, including the journalists’ syndicate (SNJT), the Tunisian League for Human Rights, and the Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES), expressed solidarity with the UGTT. The FTDES denounced what it described as smear campaigns and harassment against trade unionists.

Since President Saied’s power grab in July 2021, human rights organizations have warned of growing repression in Tunisia, with dozens of opposition figures, journalists, lawyers, and activists jailed under his rule.