Labor Unions and Democratic Unrest in North Africa

Offers an institutional take on the 2011 Arab uprisings, exploring how labor unions contributed to the rise or demise of these protests.

Exploring how labor unions contributed to the rise (or demise) of the 2011 Arab uprisings, this study offers an institutional explanation for the protests. Ashley Anderson compares Tunisia and Morocco, examining why some unions engage in politically-motivated collective action, while others are co-opted by the state to sustain undemocratic regimes.The political upheavals witnessed in North Africa during the 2011 Arab uprisings brought renewed attention to the region. This book focuses on the inconspicuous yet critical role of labor unions in shaping protest success (and failure) during this period. Drawing on a comparison between Tunisia and Morocco, Ashley Anderson connects the divergent protest strategies of each country to the varying levels of institutional incorporation and organizational cohesion developed by labor unions under authoritarian rule. Using material drawn from English, Arabic, and French news sources, archives and extensive interviews, Anderson demonstrates how Tunisia's exclusionary corporatist system enabled the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) to emerge as a powerful political actor, while Moroccan unions struggled to extract minimal concessions from the incumbent regime. By highlighting the interplay between authoritarian institutions, labor activism, and political reforms, this book sheds light on the challenges that labor organizations face in transforming their countries' political and economic future.