فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
As we approach Labor Day on May 1st, the Moroccan government is preparing to introduce a new version of the strike law, which is one of the main demands of labor unions.
The Moroccan Minister of Labor, Youssef El-Sekkouri, announced that this law will be presented in the spring session of parliament.
Labor unions reject the draft law proposed by the previous government in parliament since 2016, describing it as biased towards employers and restricting the right to strike. They demand a law that respects all international labor laws without infringing on public rights and freedoms.
Constitutional Rights
The Moroccan Labor Union Federation announced in a statement that they have not received the draft of the strike law, reaffirming their stance against any project that aims to target the constitutional right to strike. They believe that the right to strike is a human right, a democratic principle, and a right to defend labor demands.
The General Secretary of the Democratic Labor Organization, Ali Lotfi, stated that the government wants to limit the right to strike to workers only, which is unconstitutional.
Article 29 of the Moroccan Constitution guarantees freedoms of assembly, association, and union membership. The right to strike is guaranteed, and a regulatory law will define the conditions and procedures for exercising this right.
Deductions from Strikers’ Salaries
Labor unions also reject several provisions in the proposed law that they believe restrict the right to strike. These include prohibiting hindering work during a strike and deducting salaries from strikers based on the principle of pay for work.
The General Secretary of the Democratic Labor Organization, Ali Lotfi, argued that a strike is not a collective work stoppage but a constitutional right given to professionals and workers. He emphasized that the current deductions from employees’ salaries in some sectors are illegal and outside the legal framework.
One controversial issue among unions is the clause that prohibits strikes for political reasons.
Lotfi pointed out that any actions taken by unions cannot be classified as political strikes, as unions represent the interests of workers.
