Aerolia May Leave Tunisia for Morocco
3 October 2013
Read by 1786 persons
Aerolia faced a potential wildcat strike on Thursday, October 26, following several meetings with union representatives to reach a mutually agreeable compromise. Gaby Lopez, president of GITAS (Tunisian Aeronautics and Space Industries Group), expressed a calmness that Aerolia managers, a major global player in the design and production of equipped aircraft fuselages, certainly didn't share.
The volatile social situation at Aerolia threatens the plant's continued presence in Tunisia. According to some sources, a Plan B is already in place to relocate production to the country of origin (France) or to Morocco, where the King will meet with the president of Aerolia at the Aeronautics Fair next week.
This mirrors the Bombardier episode, which, frightened by the January 14 "revolution," quickly relocated its activities to Morocco. For Aerolia Tunisia, strike notice has already been given for October 11, 12 and 13.
It is clearly indecent to undervalue workers' efforts, to not pay them fairly, or to disregard their work. However, it is also imperative that unions and companies find compromises to satisfy both sides. Because remaining steadfast in their positions will lead to relocation for the client and more unemployment in Tunisia. In that case, workers will no longer be demanding salary increases, but jobs.
Faced with the complete refusal of the CEO of Aerolia Tunisia to comment, Gaby Lopez believes that among the forty companies operating in the aeronautics sector within their official professional association, employing 7,000 people directly and 2,000 indirectly (industrial and local service providers), very few have been disrupted by social or other problems since January 14, 2011.
"Production volumes, jobs and investments have generally continued to grow. Of the 40 GITAS companies, only one has seen its volumes decrease and its workforce decline. The outlook remains good, and if the country's security, political and economic stability is maintained, there is really no reason for investors currently present to change their strategies. This much-hoped-for stability will also attract other investors from the aerospace industry, who will come to increase and enrich the Tunisian aeronautical supply chain," assures Mr. Lopez.
Why do Gitas members manage to control social unrest where others fail? The question deserves to be asked...
Amel Belhadj Ali
Webmanagercenter.com
Published September 27, 2013.
Posted online October 3, 2013.
The volatile social situation at Aerolia threatens the plant's continued presence in Tunisia. According to some sources, a Plan B is already in place to relocate production to the country of origin (France) or to Morocco, where the King will meet with the president of Aerolia at the Aeronautics Fair next week.
This mirrors the Bombardier episode, which, frightened by the January 14 "revolution," quickly relocated its activities to Morocco. For Aerolia Tunisia, strike notice has already been given for October 11, 12 and 13.
It is clearly indecent to undervalue workers' efforts, to not pay them fairly, or to disregard their work. However, it is also imperative that unions and companies find compromises to satisfy both sides. Because remaining steadfast in their positions will lead to relocation for the client and more unemployment in Tunisia. In that case, workers will no longer be demanding salary increases, but jobs.
Faced with the complete refusal of the CEO of Aerolia Tunisia to comment, Gaby Lopez believes that among the forty companies operating in the aeronautics sector within their official professional association, employing 7,000 people directly and 2,000 indirectly (industrial and local service providers), very few have been disrupted by social or other problems since January 14, 2011.
"Production volumes, jobs and investments have generally continued to grow. Of the 40 GITAS companies, only one has seen its volumes decrease and its workforce decline. The outlook remains good, and if the country's security, political and economic stability is maintained, there is really no reason for investors currently present to change their strategies. This much-hoped-for stability will also attract other investors from the aerospace industry, who will come to increase and enrich the Tunisian aeronautical supply chain," assures Mr. Lopez.
Why do Gitas members manage to control social unrest where others fail? The question deserves to be asked...
Amel Belhadj Ali
Webmanagercenter.com
Published September 27, 2013.
Posted online October 3, 2013.
