Published: 18/12/2016
Following strike at its sardine canning factory in spring 2015, DOHA company locked out more than 500 workers and placed a lawsuit against union leader Rahmoun Abdellah, CDT Agadir regional secretary. Despite of the on-going mass actions of protest and critical reaction of the international community, the Court of Appeal rejected Mr Abdellah’s appeal to lift the precautionary confiscation of his apartment and instead supported the ruling of the Court of the First Instance for charges to be brought against him for causing the company financial losses. This again puts union leader under threat of confiscation of his family apartment. 

This decision to prosecute an elected trade union official for actions taken while representing his members, poses a serious challenge to the principles of democratic rule and contribute to growing injustice and social instability. The IUF has appealed to the Prime Minister of Morocco to draw his attention to this case, which underlines the failure of the justice system to ensure that workers can exercise their rights.