Moroccan trade unions strike for change
2008-02-17
After a large trade union strike affected the education, health and local government sectors, Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi vowed to hold regular meetings with unions and draft a new social charter. Union members have threatened future action if the government fails to honour promises of pay increases and legislative reforms.
By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 17/02/08
 [Sarah Touahri] Three or Morocco's five trade unions went on strike on Wednesday (February 13th) to demand wage increases and legislative reforms. Union members vowed to strike again if the government gave them empty promises. |
Despite pleas from Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi, three of Morocco's five national trade unions held a 24-hour strike on Wednesday (February 13th), paralysing the nation’s civil service. The FDT (Democratic Labour Federation), UNMT (National Union of Moroccan Labour) and USF (Civil Servants’ Union) proceeded with the strike after two meetings with El Fassi. Morocco’s two other trade unions opted out of the strike, saying that the government should be given more time to consider the union's demands for pay increases and legislative reforms.
Officials said the sectors worst hit by the Wednesday strikes were education, health and local government. Saying they have seen no encouraging signs from the government, however, the unionists vowed that the strikes would go on.
During the cabinet's weekly meeting on Thursday, Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi condemned the decision to strike, insisting that the launch of talks with the unions was a clear sign of good faith on the part of the government. He reiterated the government’s desire to settle all unresolved issues and find adequate solutions.
El Fassi also announced on Thursday that the government plans to draft a new social charter in consultation with union and business partners. The prime minister said he was aware of an urgent need to "institutionalise" meetings with workers, as trade unions have demanded. Meetings "will need to be regular so that we can find effective solutions to all the issues raised", he said.
During the first round of talks held prior to the strike, El Fassi listened to the unions' main grievances. The minister in charge of modernising the public sector, Mohamed Abbou, said the initial meetings with trade union federations were an opportunity to set out a working methodology and create specialised committees to examine the unions' demands. He stressed the unions' role as major partners in the implementation of reforms already underway.
However, talks with the prime minister’s office, "lost their credibility as soon as Abbas El Fassi settled for making promises", USF general secretary Mohamed Hakech said, adding that while many "issues have been up in the air for years, El Fassi has to deliver on the commitments made by his predecessor."
An earlier agreement between the trade unions and former Prime Minister Driss Jettou hinged upon an adjustable pay scale with an annual pay raise of 2% and the radical reform of fifty-year-old civil service legislation. Specifically, trade unions want the guaranteed minimum wage increased from 1870 to 2500 dirhams ($240-$320) and they want union rights, including the right to strike, to be recognised.
Talks are expected to resume in March.
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fettah Posted 2008-02-18
We want a Moroccan coach, we want Badou Zaki.
HANDOUZI Posted 2008-02-19
A social charter institutionalising dialogue… it is about time!!! Social dialogue up to this point has had a unique sense about it: it is always to the advantage of the government and only the balance of power ever matters. The working class is on the edge of despair with this exponential increase in the cost of living. The official inflation rate has been manipulated; you can see the real rate on the streets, which are now menageries.
Hassan Hakech Posted 2008-02-22
The right to the freedom of expression is one of the fundamental pillars of democracy. It is a sacred right for every citizen. It is the only protector of a real living and dynamic democracy that believes in the people’s genius and not in a charismatic leader. The Arab political project is one devoted to the democratisation of dictatorship and its corresponding authoritarian regimes, where the right to criticism is taboo. This is far from being a democratic project that has historically been involved in the radicalisation of political, social and economic life. “Democracy”, according to the Arab Dictator's dictionary, is a soulless body. Rather its embodiment is in the building of state institutions (for example: courts, parliaments, police, prisons, etc.) But, to them, it is absolutely weak have the people’s will to freely choose their representatives embodied. Should the right to criticise the regime be exercised, the voice of the opposition is crushed. The Media’s doors are slammed shut in order to bury the truth about the crimes committed against the citizens (such as: poverty, corruption, social injustice and illiteracy). The history of an Arab governor in power is one of a “political harem” rooted the fabric of the Arab culture’s logic and the inability thereof to understand politics as a game of rules about the sharing of power with the opposition in an atmosphere of freedom and equal opportunity. The inheritance of power is a virus that kills democracy just like polygamy kills love in a woman’s heart. Let us hope that the voice of our fierce fighting against the mechanisms of authoritarian and totalitarian political regard for the people will change this political mentality. These people are singing for a real democracy, based on the freedom of being able to denounce social injustice and attack evil at its political roots.
sidqi Posted 2008-03-17
El Fassi, like all of his predecessors, did nothing, is doing nothing and will never do anything for active society. All the members of said government are nothing but pawns; they are there just to earn money while ignoring their fellow citizens who are growing poorer day by day. Moroccans have become conscious of what is going on in their nation and it needs to be changed very soon. The government is worthless, and only His Majesty is able to intervene at the right moment to put an end to this anarchy. The people of the Maghreb are tired of the endless lying that has been going on since independence. Our leader will find a solution. One thing for sure is that we trust in him and do not need anybody else. These people do not know how to work; all the ministers tell themselves that they inherited their seat in the government from their dads. His Majesty tells them what needs to be done because they are worthless.
سجين الراي Posted 2008-04-05
Democracy in the Arab world is absent in Arab political life. The Arab dictator is eternally present on the Umayyad chair through inheritance and allegiance. Between absence and presence, the social tragedy is embodied in poverty, misery and deprivation. It submerges like foam, a wave of luxury and generosity of Hatim Al Tai in the palace amidst the dignitaries.
zakia Posted 2008-04-14
This is an injustice.
salim Posted 2008-04-29
Your honourable union should debate the following items with the government: why has it accepted to raise the wages of public servants in rural areas while it has excluded servants in local districts except those in the education, health and justice sectors. Sincerely yours.
Sérieux Posted 2008-09-22
This is not unusual: trade unionisation is one of our rights, the objective of which is defending the interests of the working classes or, at the very least, improving their well being. On the same token, this is a determining factor in a country’s economic development. Its integrity lies in its activities and in its leading ranks. But, here in Morocco, all of the union leaders possess the same image as the Secretaries-General of the political parties, and all of this is so that they can manipulate their body by using words like “right to employment”, “right to a dignified life” and so on. In the midst of their institutions, though, no one applies these, which is a nice way of saying they ignore them completely. All the union bosses have held their position since their organisation’s constitution was written. Even if they have assemblies, they always exist in form only, given that the same people stay in those positions too. To tell the truth: they are bosses for life. When you see such practices, how can you even want to believe in the sincerity of their speeches and interests? How can you want to give hope to the active members and help them to believe in the principles of the union movement? Experience tells us that Moroccan unionism has become a form of blackmail in the hands of people of bad faith or else it is used for political or personal ends. How can we believe in the unions’ rhetoric when we note that they go on laying claim to rights while duties remain unaccounted for or even forgotten? Never has a union or a union office called out or dismissed a member for misconduct or negligence at work.
soukaina Posted 2009-01-06
I would like to say that all of this is just something that will lead to nothing.
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