Political, Not Partisan: The Tunisian General Labor Union under Democracy

Abstract

Under what conditions do trade unions participate in elections during democratic transitions? Conventional explanations focus on unions’ economic interests, organizational power, and militancy in the lead-up to democratization. The behavior of the Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT), however, challenges these expectations. Despite its organizational strength and prominent role in the country’s transition, as well as the presence of economic incentives for participation, the UGTT has eschewed formal electoral participation. This article leverages this case to theorize an additional factor shaping electoral behavior: internal cohesion. Drawing on in-depth interviews with union leaders and original survey data of union members, we show how the threat of internal fragmentation acts as a powerful internal constraint, even in situations where unions are otherwise well-positioned to engage in elections.

Introduction to a Special Issue on Labor in the Middle East and North Africa: Precarity, Inequality, and Migration

“…Scholars have also pointed to the pivotal role that workers played in the Arab uprisings, either within unions in Tunisia and Bahrain (Langohr 2014; Beinin 2016; Hartshorn 2016; Feltrin 2019) or outside unions in Egypt (Bishara 2012; Langohr 2014). 6 The role of the UGTT in Tunisia’s uprising and in its subsequent democratic transition (Yousfi 2017; Hartshorn 2018; Bishara 2020; Bishara and Grewal 2022) was particularly noteworthy. Others have argued that the absence of a strong labor movement has curtailed meaningful political change following the 2019 uprising in Lebanon (Khater 2022).…”

Popular support for military intervention and anti-establishment alternatives in Tunisia: Appraising outsider eclecticism

“…Today, the UGTT remains highly engaged politically, if not electorally. Despite some initial ambiguity about the precise nature of its engagement with the 2019 elections, the UGTT ultimately announced that it would not support any candidates or parties (Bishara & Grewal, 2021). Instead, the union capitalized on its nationwide network and deployed thousands of election observers in both parliamentary and presidential elections.…”

“…The organization has been involved since the revolution not only in crafting compromise between political parties, but also in the organization of protests (Zemni, 2013). And yet, the organization stayed above the political fray of party politics by not directly nominating candidates in previous parliamentary and presidential elections (Bishara & Grewal, 2021).…”