The UGTT confirms the general strike for January 21, 2026, a decision ratified by its administrative commission. Despite a stated openness to dialogue, the trade union center denounces a freeze in social negotiations and a unilateral decision by the government on salary increases.
Meeting this Friday at the headquarters of the Tunisian General Labor Union, the administrative commission set the date of January 21, 2026 for the general strike. This confirmation reactivates a latent social standoff between the trade union center and the government, in an already tense economic and political context.
An opening to dialogue… but a minefield
The secretary general of the UGTT, Noureddine Taboubi, reaffirmed the organization’s openness to dialogue, during the march commemorating the 73rd anniversary of the assassination of Farhat Hached.
He stressed, however, that this opening did not mean renunciation of the right to organize, nor abandonment of collective bargaining mechanisms, nor calling into question national achievements.
According to him, the UGTT remains determined to defend its prerogatives and those of the workers.
The breakdown of negotiations at the heart of the conflict
Taboubi also denounced the blockage of social dialogue, attributed to the government. The trigger: the adoption of the 2026 finance law, which introduces a salary increase in the public and private sectors without the usual tripartite negotiations between the UGTT, UTICA and the executive.
For the central union, this unilateral approach constitutes a dangerous precedent and a sidelining of its social partners.
The general strike of January 21 could mark a turning point in the country’s social relations. Between calls for dialogue and accusations of marginalization, the standoff takes hold over time.
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