Strike bill raises social tensions

The draft organic law governing the right to strike, first submitted to the House of Representatives in September 2016, seems, once again, to be at the heart of tensions. Although adjourned on October 23, it is once again on the agenda for Thursday October 31, when it is due to be examined by the Social Sectors Committee.

This raises a number of questions: will this deadline also be postponed, or will the discussion finally be able to open in a concrete manner, marking a significant step forward in a delicate dossier that polarizes the Government and the trade unions?

In any case, the Union Marocaine du Travail (UMT) trade union is firmly opposed to programming the text in its current form, and is calling for it to be withdrawn until a consensus can be reached. This rejection is echoed by certain political parties, which had already demanded the postponement of the October 23 meeting.

What’s more, a number of unions have joined forces to form a united front against the bill. For the UMT, this piece of legislation is a direct threat to the right to strike, which remains a constitutional right and has been acquired through long union and social struggles. «We denounce the hasty approach of the Ministry of Employment, which has put this piece of legislation on the agenda without even waiting for the end of consultations with the unions», Miloudi Moukharek, General Secretary of the UMT, told L’Economiste. In his view, this haste represents a departure from previous agreements, which stipulate that all draft legislation with a social impact must be submitted to the trade unions before being presented to Parliament.

The journey of the piece of legislation through the House of Representatives testifies to long-standing opposition. After more than 5 years of stalemate, the text was reinstated as part of the social agreement of April 30, 2022, with the terms of discussion set out in the agreement of April 29, 2024. However, consultations failed to iron out the profound differences between the government and the unions.

Discussions had intensified since July, and there was every reason to believe that progress had been made. But the differences remain. «On essential points, we are still in major disagreement. The philosophy of the draft remains unchanged from the previous version: notice periods remain long, custodial sentences are maintained, and other sanctions remain», said Miloudi Moukharek, pointing out that these punitive measures are unacceptable.

Khadija MASMOUDI