"The social dialogue is not limited to social issues, but must include the various problems facing our country," said Deputy Secretary-General of the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), Monem Amira.

Presiding over the ordinary meeting of the local labour union (URT) in Tataouine, he pointed out that dealing with socio-economic issues without taking into account the political context would not produce convincing results.

The UGTT had launched a national initiative aimed at pulling the country out of the current crisis, the UGTT deputy general secretary said. He reminded that the labour organisation had presented a similar initiative, which had been rejected by the government.

"The ambiguity of the current situation and the measures taken by the government, particularly the increase in interest rates and prices and the 2.3% cut in the subsidy budget, have had a negative impact on the purchasing power of Tunisians," he pointed out.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse