Moroccan government must learn from trade union mobilisation

Moroccan government must learn from trade union mobilisation of 6 April

Brussels, 9 April 2014 - Following the peaceful march held by the united trade union front UMT-CDT-FDT in Casablanca on Sunday 6 April, the ITUC has urged the Moroccan government to delay no further in listening to the workers' message.

The policies of the government led by the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) are continuing to fuel social discontent, stemming primarily from the successive rises in basic commodity prices, as well as the growing trade union rights violations.

The ITUC welcomes this historic unity of action within the Moroccan trade union movement, which bears witness to the trade union organisations' commitment to protect the purchasing power of the people, especially the most vulnerable, and to ensure respect for workers' rights and trade union freedoms.

Given the urgent need to address the social situation, the Moroccan trade union centres, UMT, CDT and FDT, had sent a joint memorandum to the government, which did not, unfortunately, pay it any heed. In the immediate run-up to the trade union mobilisation on 6 April, the government finally contacted the trade union organisations, but with a letter that was more like a summoning than an invitation to engage in genuine social dialogue, denounced EL-Miloudi El-Moukharik, general secretary of the UMT.

"Like in too many other countries around the world, the government must take urgent heed of the consequences arising from antisocial economic policies that increase poverty, unemployment and the marginalisation of the most vulnerable and open a sincere social dialogue that respects workers' fundamental rights, in the interest of all," declared Sharan Burrow, general secretary of the ITUC.

The ITUC represents 176 million workers in 161 countries and territories and has 325 national affiliates. Follow us on the web: http://www.ituc-csi.org and http://www.youtube.com/ITUCCSI

ENDS

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