Tunisia's UGTT warns of public sector strike to reject government reforms

TUNIS - Tunisia's powerful UGTT union warned on Wednesday that public sector workers may go on strike to reject a package of economic reforms proposed by the government that it said included privatisations, wage freezes and cuts to subsidies.

"The Department of Public Sector and Public Service (within the UGTT) approved the principle of a general strike", UGTT head Nourredine Taboubi told a union meeting in Bizerte, adding that the union's high command would meet soon.

Tunisia is in talks with the International Monetary Fund for a rescue package to avert a crisis in its public finances.