Unemployed Tunisians welcome new law critics see as pipe-dream | Emna Jabrane

  • Date: 10-Aug-2020
  • Source: Arab Weekly
  • Sector:Economy
  • Country:GCC
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Unemployed Tunisians welcome new law critics see as pipe-dream | Emna Jabrane

TUNIS – Thousands of jobless Tunisians welcomed parliament's approval of a bill ensuring those who have been unemployed for at least a decade recruitment by the public sector. But the country's economic challenges, budget constraints and political instability could prevent the law from taking effect.

The Tunisian parliament responded to pressure from unemployed protesters, hundreds of whom had gathered at its headquarters for months calling for jobs. A total of 159 MPs voted in favour of the bill, with 18 abstentions.

Despite the promises embodied in the bill, there are doubts about the government's ability to implement it. Supporters of the law consider it to be “an important step” to end the marginalisation of unemployed graduates, granting them a chance to hold public sector positions. Still they see obstacles that could prevent