Prime minister issues instructions for social conflicts settlement
Morocco, Politics, 4/26/2000

Moroccan Prime Minister Abderrahmane Youssoufi, has issued to the government members instructions to cooperate with enterprises for the settlement of pending social conflicts throughout Morocco.

Spokesman of the government, Khalid Alioua, told Tuesday the chamber of advisors, upper chamber of the parliament, that the prime minister asked the ministers to open dialogue with enterprises facing hardships.

The prime minister's decision comes after the government, trade unions and employers reached on Sunday an agreement on a set of social grievances and succeeded in preventing a general strike that was planned for Tuesday.

Lengthy talks held over the weekend between the government, two major trade unions, the CDT and UGTM, and the employers' confederation CGEM examined ways to meet workers' grievances and avert the general strike.

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 2001, create 17,000 new jobs in public service by turn of current fiscal year and grant a 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.

Generalizing the compulsory health insurance and social coverage are other items agreed upon between the three partners.

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.

Previous Stories:
  Civil servants' promotion would cost the state $700 million   (4/25/2000)
  Government, trade unions, employers reach agreement to prevent general strike   (4/24/2000)
  UGTM, CDT Call for Warning General Strike on April 25   (4/12/2000)

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