Tunisia-Bizerte mayor declares war on UGTT and Taboubi intervenes

Speaking on the airwaves of private radio,  Bizerte mayor Kamel Ben Amara, declared the halt of contributions systematically assembled for the benefit of unions.

According to him, it is time to release oneself from the “tyranny” of certain unions pretending at the same time that officials of the municipality of Bizerte have been reduced to pressure and threats because of it. The mayor made no mystery of his connection with the Ennahdha Movement, stipulating, however, that this decision is in no way binding on the party and has no political motive.

For his part, the general secretary of the UGTT, Noureddine Taboubi, evoked that the suspension of contributions is effected by government decree and that opposed to what some would have people believe, no civil servant is forced to become a member of the union.

In addition, Tabboubi estimated that this decision is due to the positions of the UGTT which had jointly signed with associations and NGOs a statement denouncing the normalization of the mayor with Zionism. “We are not going to give up on our principles” he added.