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He shared stories of the new democracy and social movement that trade unions and other groups are building in Tunisia.



The revolution in Tunisia that saw the ouster of the Ben Ali regime in January has inspired hope and a wave of upheaval around North Africa and the Middle East, in many cases with trade unions playing a leading role.



In Tunisia, the trade union movement and the country’s trade union centre UGTT were in the vanguard, having long fought for the end of the dictatorship and real democracy in the country. High youth unemployment and a longstanding opposition to the regime flared into a full-fledged revolution in January and a victory for the people of Tunisia soon after.



“We salute our Tunisian colleagues for their leading role in bringing democracy to the country,” said UNI General Secretary Philip Jennings. “Even as they are part of the coalition writing a new constitution and setting up democratic elections, they continue their vital role representing working people and fighting for their rights on the job.



The Tunisian trade union movement is now working to build a society that fosters liberty, equality and development and leaves behind the corrupt authoritarianism of the Ben Ali regime, said Abderrahim, General Secretary of the Fédération Générale des Provessions et Services (FGPS).



“Our new constitution will cut out the old regime and cut out any anti-democratic practices,” Abderrahim said. “The old regime will try to come back but we won’t go back. We are demanding liberty, equality and progress.”



Abderrahim’s own union has not let the fight for democracy impinge on its struggle for workers’ rights. Almost immediately after Ben Ali fled the country and a new interim government was taking shape, thousands of FGPS members in the cleaning and security industries were out on strike demanding better pay and conditions.



Workers have also been flocking to UNI’s finance affiliate in Tunisia, the Fédération Générale des Banques et Etablissements Financiers. General Secretary Jellali Abdelhamid told the UNI Finance Global Conference in Lisbon last week that the union signed 14 new collective agreements that cover 2000 new workers.



The union also fought for new regulations against subcontracting that led to 100,000 workers becoming eligible for union membership, many in the private services sector that UNI’s Tunisian affiliates represent.



“The revolution has already led to vast improvements for our members,” Abderrahim said. “The workers have the courage to unionise and the result with a new democratic government in place will be much better. The situation is better for unions, better for foreign investment and offers more stability for everyone.”



Abderrahim says the revolutionary movement sweeping North Africa and the Middle East is going to change the face of the region.



“The people have suffered so much from dictators and corruption,” he said. Now is the time for change!”



Abderrahim welcomed UNI’s support of the revolution in Tunisia and the popular uprising in neighboring countries.



“This is a people’s liberation movement and the international trade union movement has a big role to play to spread it around the world,” he said. “We have to improve our capacity to fight for change, to support each other and to spread our message.”