The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), which represents 18 million transport workers worldwide, is raising serious concerns about the suitability of Alsa to run public transport services in Morocco after the company failed to show up to a critical meeting with the governor of Tangier.
The governor, Mohamed Mhidia, had offered to mediate after Alsa began a concerted campaign to persecute activists from the ITF-affiliated UMT union in Tangier. This included the dismissal of the general secretary of the UMT office of Alsa in Tangier, Jamal Al Sharfi, while several other workers were intimidated and offered bribes to leave the union.
Alsa began the repressive action after its workers in Tangier exercised their right under international and Moroccan law to form an independent trade union to have their voice heard.
ITF inland transport section secretary Noel Coard said: “Alsa in Tangier is part of the global National Express group, and it needs to take a lesson from the rest of the company. National Express companies have good union relations in the UK, USA and Spain - they need to do the same in Morocco and respect the wishes of their workers.
“Alsa is expanding in Morocco and bidding on a major contract in Casablanca, but until it shows it can work with the unions, we do not think it is a fit and proper company to be running bus services in Morocco.
“We urge the management at Alsa in Morocco to end their anti-union tactics, engage in dialogue with their workers’ union and reinstate Jamal Al Sharfi.”
Union office for Alsa-National Express to open in Tangier
