Morocco: Key Cooperation between Government and Trade Unions

The Moroccan government has set a date to resume negotiations with trade union activists. The aim is to reach agreement on a package of contentious issues, such as wages and taxes. The government hopes to narrow the gap between them and reach a mutually beneficial consensus. Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch will hold sessions with the Kingdom’s three main trade unions, the Moroccan Trade Union, the Democratic Confederation of Labour and the General Union of Workers. These sessions began on Friday with the secretary general of the Moroccan Workers’ Union, with the aim of reaching agreements between the two sides.
 
The executive is making efforts to improve the relationship with the trade unions, recognising their rights and responsibilities as part of society. It is seeking to reach agreements with them to improve working conditions, as well as to promote job security. The government is similarly working to ensure economic stability, which is a key factor in improving the position of workers. This includes establishing a policy framework that protects the interests of trade unions and workers in general.

Melody Mukharek, general secretary of the Moroccan Trade Union, called on the Prime Minister to increase the purchasing power of wage earners through a general increase in wages and a reduction in the tax burden on them. In an interview with the local daily Hespress, Mukharek pointed out that the social situation in Morocco is at the limit due to high prices and the absence of measures to limit the impact of the crisis. The Moroccan Trade Union aims to implement reforms to win the rights of the middle class and workers, including tax breaks that sometimes reach 38% of salaries, on the other hand, they claimed the need to establish national food security and return the prices of basic materials to their previous levels.
 
Mukharek called on the government to temporarily cancel the value-added tax on consumer goods, reduce domestic consumption tariffs and establish a tiered ceiling mechanism for materials and fuels whose prices are excessively high. These measures are aimed at improving the determination of price levels and alleviating the tax burden on citizens.

The unions have asked the executive to activate the 30 April agreement, which implies a wage increase for workers. However, the government believes that, due to the current economic situation, this would not be possible. In return, they made an offer to the unions to reduce the income tax with an amount of 2 billion dirhams and it is hoped that this offer will be sufficient to meet the needs of the workers.
 
Aziz Akhannouch, called on the unions to understand and take into account the economic situation. He noted that the executive is working to respond to the various logical demands, but those that impact the financial system are difficult to achieve due to the limited resources of the state. Akhannouch stressed that the state will do its best to meet the demands of the unions, but that the scope for action is limited.
 
The Akhannouch government is seeking to convince the unions to cooperate with it in implementing a number of important reforms, such as the pension law, the strike law and the trade union law. These talks are expected to be tense, with the unions reluctant to compromise on the executive’s demands. Despite the difficulties, the Akhannouch government continues to work hard to reach an agreement, doing its best to persuade the unions to accept its reform proposals by offering additional benefits in exchange for their support. The government has also requested the assistance of international observers to help reach an agreement. These negotiations will continue to be difficult, but with the will of both sides, it is hoped that an agreement satisfactory to all will be reached.

Source : Atalayar