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Tunisie Telecom is refusing to abide by the agreement signed between the Government and the General Tunisian Labour Union (UGTT) on 22 april 2011 which forbids subcontracting in the public sector and continues to subcontract certain areas of its operations.

Today, around 50 protesters from the UGTT marched in central Tunis making their way to the Ministry of Communication and Technology and blocking its entrance. Protesters voiced their demand for Tunisie Telecom to adhere to the law passed last year and to hire them as actual contract workers.

Tunisialive (http://www.tunisia-live.net) reports the following today:

According to Zied Bouallagui, a security guard at Borawi Security Company (SBS), which does subcontracting work for Tunisie Telecom, the UGTT has held negotiations with the CEO and human resources manager of Tunisie Telecom, who refused to end the practice. “Tunisie Telecom and the government refuse to end [this practice] because some ministers from the former government of Beji Caid Essebsi own subcontracting enterprises,” alleged Marouan Shebi, another security guard at SBS and a protester at today’s march.

The April 22 law is not the only focal point of the protesters’ demands.

“Corruption in Tunisie Telecom occurs at the financial level, with top-level management earning high wages and at the administrative level, with hiring based on personal connections,” said Bouallagui. Shebi and others participating in today’s protests are complaining that subcontracting companies do not provide social benefits to workers. According to Shebi, they are paid extremely low wages, between 90 and 100 dinars a month ($57-62). “We don’t even have holidays off,” added Bouallagui.

As dialogue currently seems to be at a standstill, the strike is open-ended, according to protesters in attendance today.