ECONOMIC; SOCIOLOGICAL - MANPOWER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700210126-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: R
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 10, 2002
• Sequence Number: 126
• Publication Date: March 10, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

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CLASSIFICATION RESTRICTED
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CENTRAL INT619GE] ION
REPORT NO.1
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS
CD NO.
COUNTRY
Tunisia
DATE OF
SUBJECT
Economic; Sociological - Manpower
HOW
PUBLISHED
Daily newspaper
10 Mar 1953
WHERE
PUBLISHED
Tunis
DATE
PUBLISHED
2 Nov, 17 D c 1952
SUPPLEMENT TO
LANGUAGE
French
REPORT NO.
11111 OOCUKIAT CONTAINS IAIOAUA11011 AFFECTING Till IthnOIIAL DI F9401
OF TUC UN1100 it 9101 WITHIN 1111 0IAAING OF &it1ONAf1 ACT 90
U. S. C.. II .\AO Gt. Af *11101*. III }KAKCYICIIOK OK T11i NIVILATIOA
01 IIf COAT CKTI IN ANY NA11900 TO ?A UKAUTKOIIi1D IAAGON IS FAQ-
01/111D GI LAW. AIIAODUCIIUA OF TNIG IOAI If FIOUIIITIO.
TUNISIAN LABOR UNION DEMANDS;
LABOR FORCE STATISTICS
CFI'C~r~ 1 - UNIONS MAKE DEMANDS -- Tunis, Le Petit Matin, 17 Dec 52
On ecember 1952, the Union Tunisienne des Syndicate Affilies a is
CPT:: (Tunisian Federation of Labor Unions Affiliated with the CFTC 5onfod-
eration.Francaise'des Travailleurs Chretiens, French Confederation of Christian
Worker) held a congress in Tunis. This congress passed an important resolution
dealing with such labor problems as wages, family allowances, social security,
unemployment, and collective bargaining. A siunnary of this resolution follows
Adherence to CFTC Principles
The congress reaffirms its adherence to tt principles of the CFTC and
recognizes its growing influence in Tunisia.
In connection with the ever-increasing difficulties encountered by the
workers of Tunisia and their families, the congress draws attention to the
principal demands which it has submitted several times to the authorities on
their t'ehalf. Furthermore, it draws attention to the seemingly neglectful atti-
tude of the authorities toward these demands, the satisfaction of which would
be but a simple case of social justice..
Wages, Sliding Price-Wage Scale
The congress draws attention to the fact that the Union Tunisienne des
Syyndicats Affilies a'la CFTC has demanded that the Commission Central.e de
Revision des Salaires (Central Wage Review Conmiission) approve a minimum hourly
wage of 90 francs. Moreover, it insists that this pay rate is necessary to
enable the workers to meet the rising cost of living. It further demands that
a corresponding wage increase (percentage-vise) be granted also to agricultural
workers.
The congress also demands that a eliding price-wage scale be established
to enable wages to foll.,w fluctuations in the cost of living.
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D
Collective Bargaining Agreements
The cony-yeas protests egainat the delay in the abrogation of the mow of
5 November 1949 concerning collective bargaining agreements in Tunisia and demands
its replacement by the adoption of the F:-_rrch Metropolitan Law of 11 February 1950.
Family Allowances
The congress demands the revision of the present system of family allow-
ances, which, being based on pay rates, is disadvantageous fjr small wage
earners. Accordingly, it demands uniform family allowances for all workers,
using as a basis the number of actual working days with which workers are credited.
The congress further demands the following in this connection
1. A special system of family allowances should be considered for agri-
cultural workers.
2. A flat wage bonus should be granted to married. workers, as well as an
annual 3,000-franc educational allowance for each child, to be paid by the Caisses
d'Allocations Fan_liales (Family Allowance Funds).
3? Family allowances should be granted indiscriminately a1.so to the families
of unemployed workers and workers with job-connected disabilities.
Social Security
The congress demands that a social security system similar to that of
Algeria be established in Tunisia and that a commission composed of management
and labor representatives be set up to work out and apply such a system.
Apprenticeship Statute
Recognizing the fact that trained ma:.power is necessary for the economic
development of Tunisia, the congress deplores the delay in the promulgation of
the apprenticeship statute drafted by the Comite du Travail. (Labor Committee) and
demands its immediate promulgation and implementation.
Unemployment
The congress demands that a campaign be organized against unemployment
which is rampant in Tunisia. In this connection, the congress demands further
that a public works program be worked out, along with the establishment of ac-
celerated vocational training centers.
Taxes
The congress demands the abolition of taxes on wages and salaries for all
categories of workers.
NEARLY HALF OF WORKERS IN TRADE AND INDUSTRY EMPLOYED BY LARGE FIRMS
Tunis, Le Petit Matin, 2 Nov 1> -
According to the Service Tunisian des Stati.st+ques (Tunisian Statistical
Service), nearly half of the Tunisian workers in trade and industry are employed
by large firms, i.e., firms which employ 50 or more persons. This is based on
a census of these categories of workers taken by the Service de la Main-d'Oeuvre
(Manpower Service), in collaboration with the Confederation Generale du Commerce
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et de L'Industrie (General Confederation of Trade and Industry). This census
was undertaken on 31 March 1950; its findings were published on 31 May 1952.
According to this census, Tunisia has 254 industrial and commercial
establishments which employ 50 or more persons each. They are located in the
following places: 143 in Tunis, 22 in the suburbs of Tunis, 16 in Sfax, 16 in
Sousse, 14 in Bizerte, 5 in Mahdia, and 38 (mining concerns fo.? t'e most part)
in other places.
The census in question shows that these 254 establishments employ a total
of 62,959 wage earners in the following categories: 8,500 White-collar workers,
34,748 unskilled workers, 10,858 semiskilled workers, 7,621 skilled workers, and
1,272 apprentices. The census shows further that. 213 of these establishments
are French-owned, 24 are Tunisian-owned, and 17 are foreign-owned.
As for their field of activity, the census shows that the 254 establishments
are distributed as follows:
Field of
Activity
No of
Establishments
No of
Employees
Fisheries and
forestry
6
1,888
Water, gas, and electric
power
5
1,465
Mining industry
33
14,629
Metallurgical industry
23
2,782
Glass and ceramics
21
4,390
Construction and puolic
works
50
13,935
Chemical industry
7
1,010
Food industry
32
4,139
Textile industry
5
415
Leather industry
5
441
Other Industries
11
920
Transportation and
communications
18
12,164
Commerce
26
3,029
Banks, insurance
firms, and agencies
12
1,791
As to nationality, the census shows that the establishments under
discussion employ 12,247 French nationals (19.4 percent of the total), 42,347
Tunisians (67.2 percent of the total), and 8,405 foreign nationals (1;,.)i per-
cent of the total). Of the French nationals, 1:3 percent are employed in the
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administrative field, 41 percent are skilled workers, and 16 percent are appren-
tices. Of the Tunisians, 74 percent are unskilled workers, 20 percent are skilled
and semiskilled workers, and 6 percent are white-collar workers. Of the foreign
nationals, 59 percent are skilled workers, 16 percent are white-:ollar workers,
and 25 percent are unskilled workers and apprentices. French nationals are em-
ployed for the most part in transportation ( 35 percent of the total), mining,
construction, public works, and financial organizations. Tunisians are employed
for the most part In mining, construction, the food industry, and transportati'_i.
Foreign nationals are employed, for the most part, in mining and public works.
Tunisia has a serious shortage of skilled workers and specialists. Engineers
and persons in related fields number 466, including 428 French nationals, 5
Tunisians, and 33 foreign nationals. Foremen and similar types of supervisory
personnel numbers 1,303 including 863 French nationals, 137 Tunisians, and 303
foreign nationals. Management personnel numbers 681, including 533 French natina-
als, 92 Tunisians, and 76 foreign nationals.
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