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15 June, 2023The Confédération Démocratique du Travail (CDT) called for a national protest on 4 June to denounce the weakening of purchasing power and increasing prices in the country. Moroccan security forces surrounded protesters in an attempt to prevent the march.
Khalid al-Huwair al-Alami, Deputy general secretary of CDT, said
“the march is legitimate due to the reality of the situation in Morocco. The march is legal because the right to demonstrate, protest is guaranteed by international conventions and the constitution.”
Members and leaders of the CDT refused to stop the march, as it is a violation of the constitution. They stated that the demonstration is peaceful, and it is the workers' right to reject government policies and the worsening socio-economic environment in the country.
Workers expressed their categorical rejection of layoffs, deprivation of their rights, and accumulation of wealth at the expense of the poor. They stressed that the ban would not prevent them from defending the rights of workers and a decent life for the working class.
In a statement issued on 5 June, the CDT’s Executive Bureau expressed that this repression is a serious violation of rights and freedoms and a violation of international conventions, not to mention the constitution. They are calling for respect for trade union rights and for the state to intervene and put an end to the wave of increasing prices of basic materials and fuel, and to protect the purchasing power of citizens.
They also call for increased employment and an end to corruption. They support the implementation of the agreements signed with the government in April 2022. They will continue to mobilise in the face of these challenges.
“We call on the government of Morocco to engage with unions in genuine social dialogue that must result in practical solutions for the shrinking purchasing power of citizens and workers in the country,”
said Atle Høie, IndustriALL general Secreatry.