Fuel strike tests Tunisia’s fragile distribution and public services
A 48-hour walkout over pay and unpaid employment entitlements has driven motorists to petrol stations, as wider frustration grows over prices and service outages.
Fuel transport workers in Tunis have begun a 48-hour strike, seeking better working conditions, higher wages, allowances agreed in 2019 and payment of social security dues. The General Federation of Oil and Chemicals organised the action.
The walkout prompted a rush to petrol stations and raised concern about distribution in a country that relies almost entirely on trucks to deliver fuel. Agil general manager Khaled Bettin said supplies remained available and called for a swift resolution to prevent further disruption.
The dispute comes amid public anger over rising prices, recurring electricity and water outages, and medicine shortages. The strike’s immediate effect on fuel supply remains unclear.
The federation is affiliated with the Tunisian General Labour Union, or UGTT. The dispute has renewed debate over economic reforms, including measures backed by international financial institutions that economist Kholoud Toumi said the government had not implemented.
Analysts disagree over the roots of the broader crisis. Some point to inflation, reduced purchasing power and constraints on foreign funding; others emphasise long-term mismanagement, union-employer disputes or current government policy. The competing claims reflect wider disputes over responsibility for Tunisia’s economic and public-service pressures.
