Security Forces’ Unions Protest Interior Ministry Treatment

Thousands of security officers attended today’s conference.
Clark Kampfe/Tunisia Live

Thousands of policemen, national guard, security agents, and unionists gathered today, January 26, at a press conference to protest their marginalization by the Ministry of the Interior. They demanded as well efficient solutions to improve the situation of security forces two years since the revolution.

In front of a loud and enthusiastic crowd of around five thousand people, leaders of various unions representing the different branches of Tunisia’s security apparatus delivered speeches in which they presented a list of demands.

The main one was for the political neutralization of the security forces. The crowd held signs and chanted slogans, such as “Security forces are republican, they’re not affiliated with neither Ennahdha nor the ‘Doustourians’ (political descendants of former Tunisian president Habib Bourguiba.)”

Union leaders addressed the neglect on the part of both the Ministry of the Interior and Justice despite promises of change and insisted that loyalty of the security forces be to the country only. They further denounced the interior ministry’s attempt to dissolve the police unions at which an emotional crowd screamed, “Ali Laarayedh (interior minister) dégage (French for ‘leave’).”

Montassar Matri, secretary general of the Tunisian National Union of Security Forces Syndicates, stated that negotiations with the Ministry of the Interior are ongoing. “Your presence here today, this historical day… This is a message to everyone, who’s been trying to impede our union’s way, whether they’re civil society representatives or politicians,” he reiterated.

Matri called for all security agents to join forces and stay united, as they are all represented by one union. “Today we are all one union! One hand! Republican security! We are the 8th strongest union in the world, second in Africa, and the first in the Arab world.”

According to Matri, another important demand was to create a new legal framework that protects security officers against abuse and assault, particularly the repeal of the general organizing law of interior security forces.

Unionists on the stage.
Clark Kampfe/Tunisia Live

In an interview with Tunisia Live, Hatem Laabidi, member of the executive office of the National Union of Security Forces Syndicates, explained that the current law organizes the interior security forces according to the instructions of the president. This law was used under the former regime of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, and “[it] is against the principles of republican security forces,” he added.

In addition to the legal demands, he called for increasing labor protection and insurance. Matri and his colleagues coincided that security agents suffer from unfair reassignments, long working hours, low wages, and the public’s distrust.

Policemen, attending the conference, accused higher officers of not supporting their cause while others blamed the Ministry of the Interior for quickly changing their loyalty after the revolution. One policeman gave the example of his superiors replacing photos of ousted president Ben Ali on their walls with prayer beads and framed Quran verses. “Our religion is Islam, but we want the security forces to remain neutral,” stated Matri.

Laabidi told Tunisia Live that the negotiations between a committee that represents police unions and the supervising authority of the Ministry of the Interior started yesterday but are still ongoing.

“Consultants at the Ministry of the Interior refused to sign the report of our negotiations or even recognize them. They’re politicians, who were never security officers. They don’t understand,” he said.

However, the blame should fall on higher officials, who refuse to follow the lead of their unionist colleagues and do not relate to their suffering as they look only to satisfy their new bosses, Laabidi argued.