Government, trade unions, employers reach agreement to prevent general strike
Morocco, Politics, 4/24/2000

The government, two major trade unions and the employers associations reached on Sunday an agreement that meets social grievances and averts a general strike planned for April 25.

The government held over the weekend lengthy talks with two major trade unions, the CDT and UGTM as well as with the employers' confederation CGEM.

The parties examined ways to meet workers' grievances and avert the general strike.

While the UGTM already announced the suspension of the protest movement, the CDT announced following a meeting of its central committee the postponement of the general stoppage, without announcing any other date.

The government has agreed to increase by 10% the guaranteed inter-professional minimum salary which would be set at 1,815 Dhs ($181.5) as of next July, generalize internal promotion in Moroccan public administration starting in 2001, create 17,000 new jobs in public service by the turn of current fiscal year and grant permanent status to provisional employees by 2001.

Under the agreement, described by the government as a "social contract that will allow social peace in Morocco," the government undertakes to improve social welfare, reconsider the taxes imposed on wage-earners and set up a tripartite committee to see to the agreement enforcement.

The creation of a board to compensate unemployed persons and generalizing the compulsory health insurance and social coverage are other items agreed upon between the three partners (government, the two trade unions and the employers association).

For the employers, the government also committed to reduce social expenditures on some economic sectors and energy costs for some exporting sectors to enable these enterprises face international competition.

Prime Minister Youssoufi called the agreement "a historic event in the government life" and renewed solidarity with the rural world, hit by a severe drought. He lauded the agreement which expresses the partners' awareness on the "seriousness" of the economic and social situation, mainly regarding unemployment.

Previous Stories:
  Government tries preemptive meeting to stop general-strike   (4/21/2000)
  UGTM, CDT Call for Warning General Strike on April 25   (4/12/2000)
  Moroccan enterprises call for addressing social and labor problems   (1/27/2000)

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