Amaoui: substantive democractic gains, need to improve employment
Morocco, Politics, 6/16/1998

Morocco made "great strides" towards democratization thanks to the alternation process materialized by the coming to power of a socialist-led government, the Secretary-General of the Democratic Labor Confederation "CDT" said.

Noubir Amaoui told the 86th conference of the International Labor Organization "ILO" that "moral integrity" requires him to inform the ILO on the positive evolution of the unions situation in Morocco, following the general amnesty decreed by King Hassan II for all unionist and political detainees and their reintegration in the working life.

This general amnesty was followed by the signing of a joint declaration between the social partners, Amaoui said terming the move as a "significant achievement conforming to the international criteria of unionist negotiation".

Amaoui also spoke of Morocco's efforts to overcome all difficulties, improve workers' conditions and create jobs for hundreds of thousands of unemployed persons.

Unemployment is one of the major social challenges posed to Morocco. Moroccan Prime Minister Abderrahmane Youssoufi, said lately it would be difficult to fight unemployment without an economic growth rate of 7 to 8 percent.

"The problem of unemployment, whose general rate stands at 16 percent and which reaches 33 percent among university graduates, deserves to be given a keen interest in the action of the present Government", Youssoufi had said, Map reported.

According to Employment Minister, Khalid Alioua, there are 1.5 million jobless in Morocco, while the Moroccan economy can only generate 200,000 jobs annually.

Amaoui also called for the reconversion of the Moroccan debt into investment to generate growth and "repair damage incurred by Morocco because of colonialism".

Previous Stories:
  Moroccan Prime minister confers with Amnesty delegation   (6/3/1998)
  An international welcome for the new Moroccan government   (3/25/1998)
  Women to join the police force in Morocco   (12/26/1997)

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