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A TOP European trade union leader was ordered on Saturday to leave Tunisia for supporting anti-government protesters.
European Trade Union Confederation general secretary Esther Lynch, who is Irish, received the government order after giving a speech at a demonstration called by the UGTT trade union federation in Sfax, Tunisia’s second city.
The protest was one of several held across the country over the struggling economy and the arrest of leading UGTT official Anis Kaabi on January 31, following a strike by toll booth staff.
Ms Lynch, who as elected to her post last December, told protesters that she was delivering a message of “solidarity from 45 million workers around Europe.”
She said: “We say to governments: hands off our trade unions, free our leaders.”
In a statement, the president’s office said that Ms Lynch “took part in a demonstration organised by the UGTT trade union federation and made comments that constituted blatant interference in Tunisia's internal affairs.”
It added that she was now “persona non grata” and had 24 hours to leave the country.
The UGTT confirmed on social media that Ms Lynch was leaving Tunisia today.
