Tunis: Tunisias powerful labour union UGTT has called for a major march in downtown Tunis on Thursday to "defend the union and its values" amid rising tensions with the countrys president Kais Saied.

According to France24.com, the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), which was part of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning "national dialogue quartet" in 2015, remains one of the few influential counterweights to President Saied. The president's critics have largely been jailed since his 2021 power grab, and in recent weeks, the UGTT claims it has come under pressure.

"There are files that must be opened because the people are demanding accountability... so that their money can be returned to them," Saied stated in a video on the presidency's official Facebook page. He emphasized that "there will be no immunity for anyone who violates the law, and the law applies to everyone."

A small gathering near the UGTT followed a three-day nationwide strike organized by the union last month, which angered the president. The Tunisian League for Human Rights called the protest "an attempt to dry up free expression and weaken civic space through intimidation, defamation, and distortion."

Bassam Khawaja, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch, described Saied's rift with the union as "a new attack" on the institutions he seeks to dismantle. Historian Abdelatif Hannachi noted that the confrontation reflects Saied's "mistrust of intermediary bodies and civil society groups," warning both sides may struggle to control their reactions if the conflict escalates.

The UGTT has vowed not to be silenced, with its chief, Noureddine Taboubi, asserting the union's "voice is strong" and urging anyone with corruption claims to "go to court." The government later banned "full-time union activities" among government workers without special permits.

Founded in 1946, the UGTT played a leading role against French colonial rule and later resisted autocratic presidents Habib Bourguiba and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. It was also central to the 2011 revolution that toppled Ben Ali and sparked protests across the Arab world. With more than 700,000 members, the union still commands strong mobilizing power, though some see Saied as tapping into public frustration with repeated strikes in key sectors.

Many Tunisians are frustrated with the rollback in freedoms just a decade after the country's brief democratic period. Since 2022, dozens of opposition figures, lawyers, journalists, and human rights defenders have been jailed on various charges. Saied maintains that rights remain guaranteed by the constitution and that he does not interfere with the judiciary.

Human Rights Watch has urged the authorities to "end their intimidation and respect the right to freedom of association." Thursday's march will test whether the UGTT can mobilize support, particularly after recent protests saw lower turnouts. The union has warned it may call a nationwide general strike if talks with the presidency fail.