Tunisia’s banking union prepares new strike as wage dispute continues
The UGTT federation has been authorised to set the date and duration of another sector-wide stoppage after a three-day strike in June failed to resolve the dispute.
Tunisia’s banking and insurance union is preparing a new general strike as its dispute with sector employers over salaries and collective agreements continues.
The sector council of the General Federation of Banks, Financial Institutions and Insurance Companies has authorised its executive bureau to determine the date and duration of a fresh strike.
The federation operates under the Tunisian General Labour Union, known as the UGTT. No date has yet been fixed.
The decision follows a three-day strike held from 23 to 25 June across banks, financial institutions and insurance companies. The union said that action had failed to secure the implementation of agreements covering wages and working conditions.
Red armbands and further protests
Before the next strike, employees will be asked to wear red armbands and take part in demonstrations outside the Finance Ministry, the Central Bank of Tunisia and institutions within the sector.
Protests are also planned outside the Banking and Financial Council and the Tunisian Federation of Insurance Companies, which represent employers in the dispute.
The union is demanding a salary increase covering 2025 under the sector’s collective agreement. It says private-sector banking and insurance employees did not receive a negotiated increase for that year.
It is also seeking the application of Article 412 of the Commercial Code to long-term loans provided to banking-sector employees. The provision concerns reductions to interest rates on certain existing loans.
Union officials have accused the Banking and Financial Council and the insurance federation of withdrawing from negotiations and failing to honour previous commitments. They have also criticised what they describe as pressure and harassment directed at employees during the dispute.
Employers defend salary measures
The Banking and Financial Council has rejected the union’s account and described the June strike as unjustified.
It said banks had implemented Decree No. 68 of 2026, which provided for salary increases. The council also announced that the three strike days would be deducted from participating employees’ pay under existing legislation.
The union argues that the decree covers increases for 2026, while its outstanding demand concerns the separate salary settlement for 2025.
The sector council said it remained open to negotiations while continuing collective action until its demands were addressed.
A renewed strike would again affect banking, financial and insurance services nationwide. The scale of any disruption will depend on the dates selected and whether negotiations resume before the action begins.