Protesters demanding jobs are staging sit-ins at Compagnie Des Phosphates De Gafsa SA, suspending Tunisia's entire phosphate production as it is the sole phosphate producer in the country, Reuters reported Feb. 1.
According to the report, the protest action came following social unrest in the country, as its government, under pressure from international lenders, implemented measures such as price and tax increases to cut its deficit.
As a result, Tunisia's phosphate stocks were nearing depletion, according to a company official. The country was one of the global leaders in the commodity's production, prior to a 2011 ouster of then-President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali.
