TUNIS (Reuters) – Tunisian authorities have detained a top official in the country’s biggest labour union, the UGTT union said on Thursday, adding that the decision have political motivation and aims to hit union rights.
The detention of Tahar Mezzi, who is the deputy secretary-general and the head of private sector in the union, comes two days before a huge protest called by UGTT against what it called “violation of union rights and the disruption of social dialogue”.
The UGTT did not say on what grounds Mezzi was detained.
Tunisian authorities were not immediately available for comment.
Since last year, police have arrested at least four senior union officials.
The UGTT, which has about 1 million members, had been a critical voice after the arrest of activists, businessmen and journalists since President Kais Saied seized most powers in 2021 when he closed Parliament, a move that the opposition described as a coup.
But the voice of the union, which was widely seen as biggest force in the country, has been significantly diminished since last year after the arrest of some of its officials.
Some political parties and activists accused UGTT of inaction, retreating from its role, and choosing silence instead of confronting Saied’s authoritarian approach.
The union, which said it will not accept attacks on freedoms and union rights, called for a huge protest in front of the prime minister’s office on Saturday, the first protest in months.
(Reporting by Tarek Amara; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
