Job Security in Tunisia
I travelled to Tunisia this week to run a cross-cultural training program for the new head of Coca Cola.
In the short time I was there, I received continual warnings from locals not to go to the Medina city center alone, as safety is still far from guaranteed. Upon arrival at the airport, one is accosted by slews of aggressive young men offering taxi rides. As I approach a long line of waiting taxis, these men all help to open the door for me, put my luggage in the trunk, all the while suggesting that I use their taxi service instead. When safely seated in the taxi at the head of the line, I ask the guy “but doesn’t it disturb you to be waiting in this long taxi line while so many others try and take away your business from passengers exiting the airport?” “No”, he says, “after the revolution these are tough, uncertain times and everyone needs to get work where they can”. Was this a particularly pacifist Tunisian taxi driver or are Tunisians a highly empathetic people when it comes to job security?
Just four months after the “Jasmine Revolution” that toppled the Tunisian leader of 23 years, cautious optimism abounds. Coke employees in fact played prominently, as the company had maintained a common practice of keeping their staff on one-year renewable contracts, thus deeming them ineligible for joining the unions or for health and other benefits. In the end, settlements were made to the overall satisfaction of all.
Against this backdrop, one of the most recognized brands in the world has relocated a new CEO across the Atlantic to focus on raising awareness of local Coke products in the region of Maghreb. As Tunisia ranks first in Africa in terms of competition, this is surely an exciting challenge. Nonetheless, if things begin to heat up again politically, at a moments’ notice he may need to be evacuated to ensure his safety.
How much would you risk in terms of safety and security to continue doing your job, supporting the commercial aims of your company while supporting your family? And how understanding would you be if other economically-challenged individuals took away your business, on your own turf, with the justification that “times are tough”? What does job security mean to you?
