Moroccan trade unions, government to continue negotiations
2008-04-10
The latest round of negotiations between trade unions and the Moroccan government failed to yield a comprehensive solution. The talks will continue in the coming weeks, in hopes the two sides will agree on increases in wages and benefits for Moroccan workers.
By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 10/04/08
 [Sarah Touahri] Morocco's trade unions have mobilised en masse in the past few weeks to make known their demands for better wages and lower taxes. A second round of negotiations concluded on Monday (April 7th). |
The second round of labour negotiations between the Moroccan government and trade union confederations was held Monday (April 7th) in Rabat. In recent weeks, trade unions have staged several stoppages to convince the government of the urgency of their demands.
Though the government's latest proposals include an increase in the guaranteed minimum wage and family allowances and a cut in income tax, Miloud Moukharik of the Moroccan Workers' Union (UMT) said they "do not meet the demands of the working class or the dossiers submitted by the UMT."
He explained that the union is calling for income tax to be lowered from 42% to 38% in 2008 and then 35% in 2009, with those earning under 36,000 dirhams a year to be exempted. It also wants to see pensions increased and exempted from taxation.
Other issues include the enforcement of the Labour Code, expanded trade union freedoms, and a rise in the guaranteed minimum wage. The UGTM has called for the minimum wage to be set at 4,000 dirhams per month, though other union organisations are calling for a lower level, with the FDT demanding a monthly minimum wage of 3,000 dirhams and the UMT calling for one of 2,500 dirhams.
The government says that it sees no obstacle to a rise in the minimum wage by 10% (190 dirhams) from the current level of 1,841.84 dirhams per month. It has been pleased with how the talks have gone so far and announced it will consider all the demands made by trade unions and their financial implications.
Employment Minister Jamal Aghmani said the talks "took place in a businesslike atmosphere and took account of the international situation as well as the need to increase the incomes of workers, especially those on low incomes, who were the focus of this round of the negotiations."
The government defended the solutions put forward by the two committees, which were created after initial talks in February to learn the workers' demands. According to Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi, the government also intends to improve social security benefits for civil servants, company benefit schemes, and health insurance, and will freeze the prices of necessities, by pushing the cap on subsidies to 36 billion dirhams.
But according to Nizar Baraka, Minister Delegate for Economic Affairs, one cannot demand everything from the government, which "draws from the same pool; that of the taxpayers. The government is there to find logical solutions."
He said it is out of the question to raise wages in line with rising prices as some countries do, because it creates a vicious circle which has a negative effect on the rate of inflation. "Raising the minimum wage by 10% several years ago caused a 6% drop in available jobs in the labour market. Our objective is to achieve a balance," Baraka stressed.
Private and public-sector workers expressed doubt that the talks, a third round of which is planned for the coming weeks, would arrive at some concrete results. Mohamed Raji, a public employee, said people don't expect much from the dialogue, which resembles "a play staged between the government and unions on the eve of May 1st."
Sanaa Badaoui, secretary, said it is "regrettable that the government is not transparent in its propositions. We don't know what games it plays with the unions. Salaries must absolutely be reviewed to face the rising cost of living."
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chihab-25 Posted 2008-04-11
El Fassi’s Government is weak, very weak, even before the union wolves. Each political party in Morocco counts a union among the make-up of its offshoots in order to encircle and keep hold over its sympathising workers. Having a union in a party is seen as a wild card to be played at any moment as a means of applying pressure and branding the face of the government in order to achieve some sort of goal lying on a political, economic and/or social tangent. What is happening now in the social dialogue with media campaign spread throughout the thoroughly partisan press and various public radio and television channels is unfortunately only recreational theatre. It is sand to be thrown in the eyes of the working masses on the upcoming 1 May in order to avert any contingency and, given the ominous expensiveness of the cost of living at this time, avoid its spillover into popular demonstrations. The government, via its spokesmen, penetrates each destitute living room, in order to encase the workers and calm them. The unions comprise only random, haphazard orientations in order to preserve their representation of the working masses, be it private or public. (Which one is it?) The union negotiators/leaders are extortionists, and the government, for its part, has answered by closing its eyes to this. Our social fabric is tearing apart piece by piece because of the government and union saboteurs. The El Fassi government is not going to make the cut, whether it be out on the streets or in the house of parliament, which just opened a new session with a loaded agenda, wherein the social sector is not lacking. Chihab-25
HASSAN HAKECH Posted 2008-04-11
Union pluralism in Morocco is a political threat. It is led by the pro-regime parties in order to weaken the voice of the working class and dissolve of the efforts and material demands of the workers—for example: the increase of wages, family benefits, rights to strike, compensation in case of a work accident or handicap, health insurance and so on--within the tumult of partisan, demagogic stakes. This arises out of the interests of the dominant political class, as it has just lost its historical and political legitimacy with respect to the people, a large part of this population of which is living under the poverty line, making less than a dollar a day. A true democracy in Morocco require a uniting and thus strengthening of the unions without any partisan or tribal tendency, which has as its goal the politicisation of union life, as if it were but a cake for the political parties’ eating. Because of their regressive, opportunist outlook towards the true social and economic pains of the working class, the political parties sprout up like mushrooms in the geopolitical landscape in order to poison the union’s body. The working class has so suffered from this discriminatory, harmful dive into these endless ideological quarrels. The Moroccan government, which calls itself democratic and modern, needs to be a good mediator for the social partnerships while at the same time completely respecting the worker’s sacred right to unions. It is this right that gives restores a Renaissance of Moroccan Citizenship worthy of such a title to us. As such, it is now often thirsty for liberty and democracy. The large, unlimited space for human rights in a climate of rule of law will be the major preoccupation of the Moroccan government, allegedly open and responsive to the cares of the people, to whom the working class belongs. Unions should never be servants in any case...
hmmouda1950 Posted 2008-04-11
The dialog between the government and unions cannot be trusted because of the lack of transparency, and the state cannot meet the demands of the working class while it is based on the Union of Business Owners (Patrons) because they support each other against the workers and the word Patron is better heard and has influence on the government. The worker will just wait for the bounties of Mr Patron who is only concerned about his revenues and the benefits of dialogue to his pocket including the facilities of the government in his favour. They are the winners; they are like a saw, winning at all times. They are the source of concern.
mohand Posted 2008-04-14
Why do you want them to be against the regime? Morocco has always been a monarchy, and it is the cement of the Moroccans and no one except Moroccans themselves can understand this. It is the second oldest Monarchy in the world after the Japanese empire. It just needs to modernise. Take a look at the Arab republics and the unions!!! It is always like this everywhere. They do politics and their game is putting pressure on the government. This is the eternal iron fist. Beyond this, they threaten us with a social breakdown. That is how our rights are being uprooted. They offer us nothing and the ministers always have to have the unions’ threats in the back of their minds such that they cannot even sleep. No, âbibis is not weak.
rahmani Posted 2009-01-20
Why do us retirees not get pay raises? What we earn is not enough. Life is expensive and being sick costs money. We do not have the means to take care of ourselves. Moreover, the retirees were the ones who were around when this administration began after Independence. The worked hard, unlike how it is now, where it has become very easy and there are all the advantages we never even had. We did not have means for transportation and a lot of other things. With the utmost respect, please do what is necessary for us. –Thank you
yasir Posted 2009-01-29
The rule of law is now in a play with the effective participation of a citizen stuck sleeping in the mud and a system stuck in the fanaticism washing over Morocco. Morocco is not going to change one iota, and it is because of “Made in Morocco” ignorance.
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