Les syndicats, les commissaires et le politique : (re)valorisations et conflits autour de la profession policière en Tunisie (2011-2022)
After 14 January 2011, the socio-professional conditions of members of the security forces became increasingly public, but also led to an unprecedented mobilisation of Tunisian police officers. Organised into trade unions, they began to negotiate with successive governments, establishing themselves...
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2023-12-01
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| Series: | L’Année du Maghreb |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/anneemaghreb/12429 |
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| author | Audrey Pluta |
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| author_sort | Audrey Pluta |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | After 14 January 2011, the socio-professional conditions of members of the security forces became increasingly public, but also led to an unprecedented mobilisation of Tunisian police officers. Organised into trade unions, they began to negotiate with successive governments, establishing themselves as legitimate interlocutors with the authorities. Drawing on some thirty interviews with police unionists from three competing organisations in Tunis, Gafsa and Sfax, this article examines the role of Tunisian police unions in changing the status of Ministry of the Interior employees. Focusing on issues of pay, promotion and the separation of the 'civilian' and 'uniformed' corps, it shows that the post-2011 period has seen a (re)improvement in the status of officers, particularly through significant pay increases and renewed prospects for promotion. Although Ben Ali's regime was often described as a 'police state', this tended to obscure the real socio-professional conditions of security officers. The political control exercised over members of the security forces before January 2011 was based, among other things, on keeping them in a rather precarious economic situation. The emergence of police interest groups on the public scene has radically altered the balance of power between the political and security elite and the law enforcement officers. By aligning themselves with the content and form of the UGTT's wage demands, the latter succeeded in getting the government to sign an agreement for a gradual increase in their salaries. The impact of the police unions was not limited to material aspects. They negotiated and won a pay rise for lower-ranking officers. They also negotiated a reorganisation of the rules governing promotion within the institution, so that academic qualifications would be taken into account in promotions. These elements tend to reverse the hierarchical pyramid within the police, but also create desirable professional horizons for officers who were previously excluded from certain functions. In this respect, the trade unions are part of the revolutionary themes and the political construction of a discourse of "dignity" in a socio-professional sense. Finally, these upheavals of institutional norms as a result of union action can be seen in the questioning of a distribution of posts based on a historical division between "civilian" bodies (corresponding in particular to commissioners, inspectors, etc.) and "uniformed" bodies (officers, commanders, brigadiers, etc.). While police chiefs held the key positions of power under Ben Ali, uniformed officers now tend to occupy positions in the senior ministerial hierarchy. These developments point to the emergence of a new generation of security executives. This article shows that these developments are profoundly changing the distribution of power within the security apparatus, as well as relations between superiors and subordinates. Socio-professional demands are fueling inter-union competition, which is encouraging the adoption of the measures advocated, as well as the construction of margins of autonomy for the rank and file in relation to the hierarchy. By analysing changes in socio-professional norms in the Tunisian police force, this article re-examines the impact of regime change on institutions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-296c1049cc1c4b9cbac9a5757831c187 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1952-8108 2109-9405 |
| language | fra |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | CNRS Éditions |
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| series | L’Année du Maghreb |
| spelling | doaj-art-296c1049cc1c4b9cbac9a5757831c1872025-01-30T09:58:19ZfraCNRS ÉditionsL’Année du Maghreb1952-81082109-94052023-12-013010.4000/anneemaghreb.12429Les syndicats, les commissaires et le politique : (re)valorisations et conflits autour de la profession policière en Tunisie (2011-2022)Audrey PlutaAfter 14 January 2011, the socio-professional conditions of members of the security forces became increasingly public, but also led to an unprecedented mobilisation of Tunisian police officers. Organised into trade unions, they began to negotiate with successive governments, establishing themselves as legitimate interlocutors with the authorities. Drawing on some thirty interviews with police unionists from three competing organisations in Tunis, Gafsa and Sfax, this article examines the role of Tunisian police unions in changing the status of Ministry of the Interior employees. Focusing on issues of pay, promotion and the separation of the 'civilian' and 'uniformed' corps, it shows that the post-2011 period has seen a (re)improvement in the status of officers, particularly through significant pay increases and renewed prospects for promotion. Although Ben Ali's regime was often described as a 'police state', this tended to obscure the real socio-professional conditions of security officers. The political control exercised over members of the security forces before January 2011 was based, among other things, on keeping them in a rather precarious economic situation. The emergence of police interest groups on the public scene has radically altered the balance of power between the political and security elite and the law enforcement officers. By aligning themselves with the content and form of the UGTT's wage demands, the latter succeeded in getting the government to sign an agreement for a gradual increase in their salaries. The impact of the police unions was not limited to material aspects. They negotiated and won a pay rise for lower-ranking officers. They also negotiated a reorganisation of the rules governing promotion within the institution, so that academic qualifications would be taken into account in promotions. These elements tend to reverse the hierarchical pyramid within the police, but also create desirable professional horizons for officers who were previously excluded from certain functions. In this respect, the trade unions are part of the revolutionary themes and the political construction of a discourse of "dignity" in a socio-professional sense. Finally, these upheavals of institutional norms as a result of union action can be seen in the questioning of a distribution of posts based on a historical division between "civilian" bodies (corresponding in particular to commissioners, inspectors, etc.) and "uniformed" bodies (officers, commanders, brigadiers, etc.). While police chiefs held the key positions of power under Ben Ali, uniformed officers now tend to occupy positions in the senior ministerial hierarchy. These developments point to the emergence of a new generation of security executives. This article shows that these developments are profoundly changing the distribution of power within the security apparatus, as well as relations between superiors and subordinates. Socio-professional demands are fueling inter-union competition, which is encouraging the adoption of the measures advocated, as well as the construction of margins of autonomy for the rank and file in relation to the hierarchy. By analysing changes in socio-professional norms in the Tunisian police force, this article re-examines the impact of regime change on institutions.https://journals.openedition.org/anneemaghreb/12429Tunisiapost-revolutionpolicetrade unionismworking conditions |
| spellingShingle | Audrey Pluta Les syndicats, les commissaires et le politique : (re)valorisations et conflits autour de la profession policière en Tunisie (2011-2022) L’Année du Maghreb Tunisia post-revolution police trade unionism working conditions |
| title | Les syndicats, les commissaires et le politique : (re)valorisations et conflits autour de la profession policière en Tunisie (2011-2022) |
| title_full | Les syndicats, les commissaires et le politique : (re)valorisations et conflits autour de la profession policière en Tunisie (2011-2022) |
| title_fullStr | Les syndicats, les commissaires et le politique : (re)valorisations et conflits autour de la profession policière en Tunisie (2011-2022) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Les syndicats, les commissaires et le politique : (re)valorisations et conflits autour de la profession policière en Tunisie (2011-2022) |
| title_short | Les syndicats, les commissaires et le politique : (re)valorisations et conflits autour de la profession policière en Tunisie (2011-2022) |
| title_sort | les syndicats les commissaires et le politique re valorisations et conflits autour de la profession policiere en tunisie 2011 2022 |
| topic | Tunisia post-revolution police trade unionism working conditions |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/anneemaghreb/12429 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT audreypluta lessyndicatslescommissairesetlepolitiquerevalorisationsetconflitsautourdelaprofessionpoliciereentunisie20112022 |