Teachers undertook a strike action on Monday to protest the detention of Gafsa activists jailed for demanding better working conditions.
Elementary school teachers in Tunisia organised a one-day strike on Monday (October 5th) to show solidarity with the dozens of trade union activists and educators imprisoned for their involvement in protests in Gafsa last June.
Four of the 34 people imprisoned for the strike in the southern mining region are members of the Elementary Education General Syndicate of Redeyef-Gafsa. Adnan Al Haji, Basheer Al Abidi, Al Tayeb Men Othman and Tariq Halim were all sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in prison, before the Tunisian Court of Appeals reduced sentences in February. Since then, civil society organisations in Tunisia have called on authorities to close the case, release the mining basin prisoners and reinstitute them in their jobs.
"The strike was a success with a turnout of nearly 60%, according to early statistics," said Taher Zaker, a member of the Elementary Education General Syndicate. "It is also an important step that responds to the principles of the Tunisian General Labour Union, namely realising social justice and defending the right to work. This was the essence of the protest in the mining basin, which was grounds for trying a number of protesters in the sector."
The one-day strike comes after a call by trade union members at the 23rd Conference of the Elementary Education General Syndicate held at the end of June. Members called for elementary teachers to stage a strike in all the nation's schools, to push for the release of the prisoners - especially the teachers. Members declared that the court orders issued against them were cruel.
However, several branches of the union were unhappy with the call to strike action. Members were unhappy with the timing of the strike, because it overlaps the first days of the back-to-school season, which began Tuesday (September 22nd). Members also said the sector was not prepared for the event. Several members attempted to have the strike postponed, while stressing their commitment to defending the Gafsa prisoners.
"On October 5th, the sector will not be prepared to for such an event. Reasons for the strike are unknown to a large cross-section of the members. This time of year, teachers are often busy with problems of the start of the scholastic year," said Al Bsheer Al Hmadi, a member of the elementary education syndicate.
In a press release, Hafed Hafed, Secretary-General of the Elementary Education General Syndicate, responded to these calls. "Organising a strike on the level of the sector does not come as a surprise to teachers. It is the best message of support and solidarity they could send out to their fellow colleagues. The strike was a decision taken by members attending the conference, and is the highest authority in the sector."
The Elementary Education General Syndicate had taken a number of measures in support of the protest. The group produced informational flyers to raise awareness of recent developments, and the general syndicate publicised the protest and invited teachers to participate in the October 5th strike.
By Thameur Zoghlami for Magharebia in Tunis
© Magharebia.com 2009
