It is a battle that has lasted now weeks, with Tunisie Telecom workers on strike forcing offices to close and revenue lost. It is also part of continued unrest in the country since the overthrow of the previous government in January. The labor dispute is largely being seen as a microcosm of larger labor issues in the country, with companies attempting to reduce the workforce in order to increase profits and liquidity. Tunisia Telecom in early May announced it was downsizing and reducing their workforce sizably in an effort to boost profit margins. The country's workers union followed that announcement by saying it would support a strike by the company's employees in an effort to resolve the situation. Worries have been growing among investors that the resulting strike could negatively affect the country's economic potential. Already, strikers have forced employees of the state-owned company from reaching their work offices, with a number of call centers and shops being affected, Deepak Padmanabhan, the CEO of Emirates International Telecommunications (EIT) told Reuters news agency. The Emirates-based company had bought 35 percent of Tunisie Telecom in 2006, but the government of Tunisia has since nationalized the majority of the company since the government fell in January after massive street protests. For now, however, the workers' are adamant that they will be heard. They are continuing their strike for the foreseeable future, although the Tunisian government did announce this week that it was “close” to reaching a deal to end the stand-off. BM
