Fuel Price Surge Sparks 72-Hour Transport Union Strike in Morocco

The strike movement concerns the coordination bringing together the sectoral sections affiliated to the trade union centers (UMT, UGTM, CDT, UNTM and FDT). It is scheduled to last 72 hours, and may be extended, they had warned.

These professionals denounce the "total negligence" of the government in the face of the rise in fuel prices. According to them, the price of diesel weighs heavily on the cost of transport. The fuel bill to transport a load of 19 tons of tomatoes from Agadir to Casablanca has increased by 2,000 dirhams, said the secretary general of the Democratic Organization of Transport and Multimodal Logistics, Mustapha Chaoune.

Other demands had also been raised by the transport unions, in particular the renewal of the fleet, professional diesel (sale of diesel to road transport professionals at a preferential rate given the nature of their work), the professional card for drivers, and continuous and accelerated training, at the expense of the ministry, for the benefit of drivers who already have professional training.

Meanwhile, the Transport and Logistics Federation announced that it is not concerned by the strike, citing the continuation of the dialogue initiated with the authorities, in order to find solutions to the issues raised.