Summary:

On Saturday, 3 December 2022, UGTT leader Noureddine Taboubi denounced the upcoming elections and formally aligned the powerful union against President Kais Said and his reform process. Previously, UGTT and Taboubi had not taken a strong stance against the President, having largely made cautionary statements.  In addition to expressing concerns about the election process and the direction of Saied’s reforms, Taboubi noted concerns about the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan deal negotiated in October. In his remarks, he implied that the Tunisian government was not transparent with the unions regarding the loan deal. The UGTT had made prior statements promising to resist the IMF-stipulated reforms.

Outlook:  

The UGTT has traveled a long road from broad support for Saied and his reform project to now taking an explicit stand against the President. This decision raises significantly tensions leading up to the election given UGTT’s ability to wield highly disruptive labor strikes and protests to communicate discontent. Taboubi had been clearly communicating discontent with the IMF deal, but the step to directly oppose Saied marks a noteworthy shift in the political environment. While the elections will presumably proceed on 17 December regardless of who announces plans to boycott, intentional UGTT opposition has the potential to create flashpoints with security forces and election workers.