The bakers’ union claims fourteen months of unpaid subsidies, estimated at 260 million dinars, in a context of galloping inflation.
mo12345lemonde with AFP
In Tunisia, thousands of bakeries observed a new strike on Wednesday, December 7, to claim the payment by the government of the compensations which are due to them under state subsidies.
More than 3,100 bakeries, or nearly 90 % of those supposed to benefit from state aid, responded to the call to the strike of the national union chamber of bakery owners to claim the payment of fourteen months of non -subsidies paid, estimated at 260 million dinars (78 million euros), the head of this union, Mohamed Bouanane.
“We will continue our strike since we have not received any positive response from the government,” added Bouanane after an interview with a representative of the office of the Minister of Commerce. According to him, the government has confined itself to promising to gradually pay the compensations due from January. Contacted by AFP, the communication service of the government presidency was unreachable.
An agreement that remained a dead letter
This union chamber had already organized a similar strike at the end of October, before suspending it after an agreement with the government for the payment of the bakeries of aid covering a period of four months, the equivalent of 23.5 million of euros. But this agreement remained a dead letter, regretted Mr. Bouanane.
“We can no longer continue to work, we are unable to pay our workers and all our expenses. The government must pay us!” Deplored a baker in the phone. Nearly 1,200 bakeries which are not affected by the compensation system continued to operate normally on Wednesday.
Tunisia is plagued by a deep financial crisis resulting in recent months in recurring shortages of basic products (sugar, milk, rice, etc.) in a 9.8 %galloping inflation context, according to the last Official figure published in early December. The country, which organizes its legislative elections in ten days, is also stuck in a serious political crisis since the coup de force of President Kaïs Saïed, who seized full powers on July 25, 2021.