News

The General Union of Tunisian Workers declared a general strike and a day of mourning for today, February 8th. The executive committee of the UGTT reached the decision following the murder of opposition leader Chokri Belaid on Wednesday .



The killing of Chokri Belaid led to widespread public protests. His murder is the first political assassination in Tunisia since the Arab Spring uprising in 2011.



UNI Global Union General Secretary, Philip Jennings said, “The men of violence must not be allowed to hijack the Arab Spring. UNI wholeheartedly supports today’s general strike and the UGTT’s call for calm. Tunisia is entering a critical phase and the international labour movement is in full solidarity with its Tunisian brothers and sisters seeking to save the revolution, now under threat. The government must listen to the demands of the people.”



The Assistant General Secretary of the Federation of Tunisian Banks, Noomen Gharbi said "The UGTT calls on the people of Tunisia, security forces and the army to ensure that the strike occurs peacefully while preserving public and private property so that this movement is not exploited to serve designs of the enemies of Tunisia who planned the assassination of Chokri Belaid.”

Chokri Belaid was a respected human rights lawyer, and a left-wing secular opponent of the government which took power after the overthrow of long-serving ruler Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali.