Watan-On Tuesday, labor unions in Morocco—including the Moroccan Labor Union (UMT), the National Labor Union of Morocco (UNTM), the Democratic Confederation of Labor (CDT), the Democratic Labor Organization (ODT), and the Federation of Democratic Trade Unions (FSD)—called for a general strike across the country on Wednesday and Thursday. The strike will include both the public and private sectors.
This call comes in protest against the sharp rise in prices of essential goods in Morocco and the “deterioration of citizens’ purchasing power,” in addition to a new law regulating strikes, which the unions described as “restrictive and regressive,” violating a fundamental human right: the right to protest. The Moroccan government, however, has defended the law as “democratic.”
National Strike Call
Miloudi Moukharik, Secretary-General of the Moroccan Labor Union, stated in a press interview on Tuesday that the national strike on Wednesday and Thursday in both the private and public sectors is a response to rising prices, the “deterioration of purchasing power,” and the new strike law, which he described as “restrictive.”
Joining the Moroccan Labor Union in this call for a strike were the National Labor Union of Morocco, the Democratic Confederation of Labor, the Democratic Labor Organization, and the Federation of Democratic Trade Unions.
Moukharik stated:”We are calling for a nationwide general strike across the civil service, public institutions, local authorities, and the private sector, including industry, services, and agriculture. We also urge traders and artisans to participate in this strike in protest against the government’s irresponsible behavior towards the working class, the labor movement, and the general public.”
He added:”Every day, we wake up to price hikes while the government remains a mere spectator, giving the green light to speculators, the wealthy elite, and those with vested interests at the expense of the Moroccan people.”
He also described the new strike law as “a restrictive and regressive law that contradicts the constitution and violates a fundamental human right: the right to protest.”
A “Regressive” Law
On Monday, Morocco’s upper house of parliament (House of Councillors) approved the controversial strike law, which the opposition and labor unions described as “regressive,” while the government defended it as democratic.
A statement from the Moroccan Labor Union said: “The government insists on undermining the purchasing power of different segments of the working class and the general public by allowing the continued surge in the prices of essential goods and services.”
Government officials were not immediately available for comment. Meanwhile, unemployment in Morocco rose to 13.3% in 2024, up from 13% in 2023, as the agricultural sector continued to shed jobs due to consecutive years of drought. The government has pledged to spend $1.4 billion to boost job creation by supporting small and medium-sized enterprises.
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