Right to strike: presentation of amendments to the House of Representatives postponed by 48 hours

The Minister of Employment, Younes Sekkouri, held a meeting on Monday with representatives of the parliamentary groups, majority and opposition combined, in order to show a certain “flexibility” on contentious points of the initial text presented by the government to the House of Representatives. representatives, we learned from an informed source.

This bill, awaited for more than 60 years, has provoked contrasting reactions, particularly from unions such as the UMT and the CDT. The latter criticize the government for hastily submitting the text to the House of Representatives without going through an in-depth debate within the framework of social dialogue or, failing that, before the House of Advisors, where the unions have elected representatives.

Rachid Hammouni, president of the PPS parliamentary group, confirmed that several amendments will be presented to the text. “We are going to present several amendments and we can already say that the minister has interacted favorably with our grievances“, he said. Among the notable proposals, the socialist leader mentioned:

• Notice of strike: extension of the deadline for long-term demands and reduction in cases where the rights of strikers require it.
• Extension of the right to strike: inclusion of all companies, removal of restrictions on the most representative unions.
• Custodial sentences: removal of criminal sanctions linked to the exercise of the right to strike, in accordance with the recommendations of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) and the National Human Rights Council (CNDH)
• Unfair dismissal: introduction of fines against employers responsible for unfair dismissals.

Hammouni also insisted on the need for a preamble clearly defining the strike and related rights. He stressed that the initial text limited the right to strike to only the most representative unions, a provision now removed thanks to the proposed amendments. However, informal coordinations and associations remain excluded from the right to strike according to the current text.

Read also: Draft law on the right to strike: debate will continue in Parliament despite opposition from unions

Despite the tensions, the legislative process is continuing its course “Normally», According to the PPS deputy. The parliamentary majority has a sufficient number of votes to have the text adopted. However, unions will have a second chance to review and influence the bill when it is presented to the House of Advisors.

This new phase of the legislative debate relaunches the dialogue around a text determining the balance between workers’ rights and employers’ constraints, while responding to the recommendations of the CESE) and the CNDH.

With this postponement, the final adoption of the project remains to be followed, pending possible compromises to satisfy the various stakeholders.