Tunisia fuel distribution disrupted as drivers’ sudden strike sparks long queues

A sudden strike by fuel transport drivers in Tunisia disrupted fuel distribution on Thursday, causing long queues outside several gas stations.

Many gas stations in the capital witnessed heavy congestion and long lines of cars waiting for fuel, disrupting traffic, according to an Anadolu correspondent.

Selwan Smiri, a member of the executive bureau of the Tunisian General Labor Union, told state-run Tunis Radio that the strike began Wednesday in the Skhira area of Sfax province in eastern Tunisia, without specifying how long it would last.

Anger was growing among fuel transport drivers over worsening social conditions and the failure to implement agreements signed with the government since 2018, though Smiri did not provide details of those agreements.

The strike affected most fuel transport companies, he added.

Smiri said the Tunisian General Labor Union had not issued an official strike notice and that coordination was underway to restore the situation to normal.

He stressed the importance of intervention by the relevant parties and a return to dialogue as soon as possible.

“I heard about the strike from a family member, who told me there was a problem with getting gasoline. I live far away, and now I am waiting for my turn in line,” Fatma Mohammed, 52, told Anadolu at a gas station in the capital.

“Today’s strike is unreasonable. This is not a solution, and we are standing in temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit),” she added.

“We pay taxes, and we may not even get gasoline,” she said angrily.

Ashraf Ben Salah, 31, told Anadolu: “We heard about the strike from the radio, and now I have been waiting for two hours.”

“Sudden strikes should not usually happen under the law. They should be announced in advance,” he added.

Munira Anwar, who was also waiting in line, said: “I have been here for two and a half hours, and my children are waiting for me at nursery.”

“Now there is congestion, and no one is organizing the queues,” she told Anadolu, describing the strike as “chaotic.”

There was no immediate comment from Tunisian authorities on the strike or the drivers’ demands as of 1900GMT, though officials have repeatedly said they are ready to address union demands within the state’s available resources.

The strike follows similar walkouts in recent weeks in the banking and legal sectors demanding better wages and working conditions.