UPDATE 1-Tunisia, union reach deal to raise wages of public employees
The North African country's economy has been in crisis since the autocrat Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was toppled in 2011, with unemployment and inflation shooting up. On Wednesday, thousands of Tunisian teachers rallied near the prime minister's office to demand better work conditions and higher wages. Last month, rail, bus and air traffic was halted and street protests drew thousands as UGTT staged a one-day nationwide strike.
The union threatened a new nationwide strike this month if the government did not agree to raise wages. It is likely to cancel the strike now that an agreement has been reached. An announcement is expected later today. So far, the details of the deal have not been disclosed.
Tunisia aims to cut public-sector wages to 12.5 percent of gross domestic product in 2020 from about 15.5 percent now, one of the world's highest levels, according to the IMF, which struck a $2.8 billion loan agreement with Tunisia in December 2016. (Reporting By Tarek Amara)
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
- READ MORE ON:
- International Monetary Fund
- World Health Organization
- Gross domestic product
- Union City
- Customs union
- Soviet Union
- Information source
- Secondary source
- Primary source
- Employees Only
- Employee benefits
- Employees' State Insurance
- North Africa
- West Africa
- South Africa
- Thomson Reuters
- Thomson Reuters Corporation
- Reuters Instrument Code
- A Thousand Years
- Thousand Islands
ALSO READ
Science News Roundup: White House directs NASA to create time standard for the moon; Scientists investigate thousands of dead Antarctic penguins for bird flu and more
Health News Roundup: Scientists investigate thousands of dead Antarctic penguins for bird flu; CVS Caremark to cover Perrigo's birth control pill in US at zero cost for plan sponsors and more
Science News Roundup: Scientists investigate thousands of dead Antarctic penguins for bird flu; White House directs NASA to create time standard for the moon and more
Tens of thousands march in Budapest against Orban
Science News Roundup: Scientists investigate thousands of dead Antarctic penguins for bird flu; White House directs NASA to create time standard for the moon and more