Moroccan workers defy protest ban, demand end to social injustices

Hundreds of Moroccan workers protested over the weekend against increasing social injustices and poor paychecks as inflation tightens its grip on the North African kingdom.

On Sunday morning, a crowd of yellow hats, the colour the Moroccan Democratic Confederation of Labour Union (CDT) adopted four decades ago, assembled in the August 20 Square in Casablanca.

The crowd of workers was set to march through the city, but authorities were quick to stop the protesters from leaving the square.

Despite the authorities' ban and the unbearable heat, the protesters refused to leave the square, collectively chanting: "What a shame, a peaceful protest, and you still ban it."

Khalid Al-Alami Al-Haouir, a senior member of the labour confederation said they were informed about the 'unjustified' ban ahead of the gathering, though they decided to carry out their protest because "the freedom of gathering is guaranteed by the constitution for every citizen."

"Those who threaten public security are not citizens, but rather those who loot and smuggle public money, and those who get rich in light of social crises,"  Al-Alami told The New Arab during the protest. Asked about who are those who smuggle public money, Al-Alami refrained from naming his accused, saying vaguely, "rich people in power."

For over an hour, protesters chanted for lowering prices of food and fuel, granting support to struggling families and improving the conditions of retirees.

Workers also called on the government to provide more job opportunities and grant unemployment balance for young people.

In Morocco, unemployment reached 10.7% this year, a slight decline compared to 11.8% at the end of 2022.

The National Higher Commission of Planning (HCP) indicated that the Moroccan economy experienced a loss of around 432,000 jobs between 2020 and 2021, and 24,000 jobs between 2021 and 2022, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The government of Aziz Akhannouch, a Moroccan tycoon who promised to solve the country's long-standing unemployment issue upon his election in 2021, has introduced the "Awrash" initiative to create 250,000 temporary jobs by the end of this year.

Experts argue that even though Awrash is an "achievable project", it is unlikely to bring about any substantial change to unemployment figures.

"The issue is that the promised number will not solve the problem - 250,000 [jobs] is far from enough to end unemployment in Morocco," Imad El Ghazal, a Moroccan research professor specialising in entrepreneurship, told TNA. 

Meanwhile, the inflationary surge, an increased 10.1 % year-on-year in February, included a 20.1% rise in food products, according to the HCP.

As the minimum wage continues to be below US$ 300 monthly, affording basic commodities has become a daily struggle for many families in the North African kingdom

Faced with recriminations, Moroccan Agriculture Minister Mohamed Sadiki attributed the jump in food prices to "external and cyclical factors", such as the soaring cost of raw materials and a cold snap that delayed the harvest.

Also, the country remains at the mercy of a drought that has become structural and negatively affects the population during times of high consummation like Ramadan month and the upcoming Eid Al-Adha.

The Moroccan High Commissioner for Planning says inflation will persist as long as "we have not made reforms to improve our supply and productivity."