Tunisia private transport strike to halt taxis, buses on Monday

Tunisia's private transport sector is set to grind to a halt on Monday, July 13, as taxi drivers, inter-regional bus operators, and rural transport providers launch a nationwide strike. The action comes after negotiations between transport unions and the Ministry of Transport reportedly failed to yield an agreement.

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This paralysis will affect individual taxi drivers, collective taxi operators, tourist taxi networks, and drivers of inter-regional transport vehicles connecting governorates, as well as operators assigned to rural transport lines in the interior areas of the Republic.

Moez Sellami, vice-president of the National Transport Federation affiliated with UTICA (Tunisian Union of Industry, Commerce and Handicrafts), confirmed the strike's continuation. The work stoppage, beginning at 5:00 AM and ending at 9:00 PM, will affect individual taxis, collective taxis, tourist taxis, inter-regional transport linking governorates, and rural transport services.

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non-respect by the ministry of tutelage of agreements and financial commitments subscribed during previous negotiation cycles

Professionals in the sector are protesting what they describe as the ministry's "non-respect of agreements and financial commitments" made during previous negotiations. They also point to the lack of serious consideration for their demands regarding the revision of fare grids and the reduction of tax burdens for license holders.

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the attitude of procrastination adopted by the Ministry of Transport

The UTICA leadership places the blame for the breakdown in social dialogue squarely on the central administration, accusing the Ministry of Transport of adopting a "sterile strategy of forward flight." The union insists that administrative inertia has made the strike inevitable, with regional UTICA structures instructed to ensure strict adherence to the work stoppage across all 24 governorates.

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to systematically apply a sterile strategy of flight forward