Gabès suffocates: Environmental and health pollution sparks widespread anger… and unions sound the alarm
In southeastern Tunisia, specifically in Gabès, residents have been breathing polluted air for decades and living with a suffocating environmental and health crisis that has become part of their daily lives. The city, once a green paradise by the sea, has become a symbol of chronic chemical pollution due to the activities of the chemical complex that continues to operate its units in the heart of the urban fabric, leaving behind suffocating air, polluted water, and a life trapped between disease and anger.
For years, gas emissions from production units have been on the rise without any serious action from the authorities. Phosphate dust covers roofs and residential neighborhoods, toxic fumes fill the sky, and waste is discharged directly into the sea. Multiple scientific studies have warned of the collapse of the coastal ecosystem and the destruction of biodiversity. But what was once written in expert reports has now become a reality experienced by children before adults, after schools near the industrial zone began recording cases of mass suffocation due to pollution.
In recent days, ambulances have transported dozens of students to the hospital after they suffered a severe wave of suffocation, in a shocking scene that has been repeated many times in recent years. In the working-class neighborhoods adjacent to the factory, residents talk about nights when they cannot open their windows. “The air here is suffocating, our children are suffocating and we have no protection,” says one mother, pointing to the dusty sky where the stars are hidden.
Public anger was not long in coming. Hundreds took to the streets in mass demonstrations, chanting slogans such as “No to slow killing” and “The right to life before phosphate,” blocking roads, setting tires on fire, and directly accusing the authorities and the factory of collusion or negligence. This crisis did not arise overnight, but has accumulated over decades of uncontrolled pollution, amid government promises that have yet to be fulfilled.
Although successive governments have pledged to relocate polluting industrial units to less hazardous sites or dismantle them, implementation has been slow. Old production units have exceeded their lifespan, and dilapidated equipment leaks more toxic emissions every day. Environmental experts warn that continuing in this manner will double the health and environmental risks, not only in Gabès, but along the entire southern coast.
This reality puts Tunisia’s climate commitments under scrutiny. As a signatory to the Paris Climate Agreement, the country has pledged to reduce polluting emissions and promote a just transition to a low-carbon economy. Its nationally determined contributions also include clear targets for reducing industrial pollution. But what is happening in Gabès reveals a huge gap between international commitments and plans on paper on the one hand, and the shocking reality on the ground on the other. While the state talks about environmental transformation, the factory continues to release its pollutants unchecked, leaving the health of the population hostage to economic and political calculations.
In the midst of this crisis, workers are on the front line. Hundreds of workers continue to work daily in an environment saturated with toxic gases, amid a severe lack of personal protective equipment. Testimonies from inside the factory reveal a lack of effective ventilation systems, outdated equipment that poses a direct threat to occupational safety, and frequent work accidents without adequate compensation or real insurance. Many workers suffer from chronic respiratory diseases due to prolonged exposure to pollutants, while others face daily risks to their lives.
Local labor unions, led by the Regional Union of Labor in Gabès, have raised their voices, warning of an imminent environmental and health disaster. They have demanded the immediate shutdown of polluting units, the implementation of previous government commitments without further delay, and the prosecution of those responsible for the deterioration of the situation, while ensuring fair compensation for affected workers and residents. It also called for a just transition plan that would protect the environment on the one hand and safeguard workers’ rights on the other, without sacrificing jobs.
For trade unions, environmental justice cannot be separated from social justice. A just transition is not a political slogan, but a practical path aimed at securing the rights of all parties, especially working groups who find themselves caught between two fires: the fire of pollution and the fire of job loss. For this reason, the national trade union movement is calling for a clear roadmap for environmental transition, funding for industrial rehabilitation programs, protection of workers from arbitrary layoffs, and the creation of a social environmental fund to compensate those affected.
What is happening in Gabès is not just a local crisis, but a real test of the state’s seriousness in respecting its climate commitments and protecting its citizens. The issue goes beyond the factory and the surrounding population to raise a bigger question: can we talk about real environmental transformation without involving trade unions and social actors in policy design and implementation? Can a green economy be built on the ruins of workers’ bodies and the dreams of an entire city’s population?
Today, Gabès is suffocating between the jaws of a rampant chemical machine and hesitant political decisions. But the voices of its residents and workers are growing louder, and unions are at the forefront of this battle, which combines the right to a clean environment, the right to safe work, and the right to a dignified life. It is Gabès’ battle, but it is also the battle of every city standing on the brink of polluting development, between an industrial past and a climate-just future
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