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Moroccan Government, Trade Unions Close to Reaching Agreement

Moroccan public school teachers take part in a demonstration in the capital Rabat. AFP file photo
Moroccan public school teachers take part in a demonstration in the capital Rabat. AFP file photo
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Moroccan Government, Trade Unions Close to Reaching Agreement

Moroccan public school teachers take part in a demonstration in the capital Rabat. AFP file photo
Moroccan public school teachers take part in a demonstration in the capital Rabat. AFP file photo

The Moroccan cabinet is close to reaching an agreement with labor unions, government spokesperson Mustapha El Khalfi revealed Thursday.

El Khalfi told reporters that arrangements are underway to reach a final agreement that would be announced by Prime Minister Saadeddine Othmani in the next few days.

Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit has held a series of meetings with leaders of trade unions, which have been adamant to ask for a comprehensive salary raise.

Last January, the government assigned the minister to hold negotiations with the trade unions to reach a compromise on the wage dispute, on condition that any agreement between the two sides gets Othmani’s approval.

Laftit met Thursday with the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises and the General Federation of Moroccan Workers to discuss a government proposal stipulating a wage increase of around 500 dirhams or $50 for employees below grade 5, in addition to $40 for those above this level.

The raise should be distributed in phases over 18 months, the first being in May, the second in January 2020 and the third in January 2021.

The government offer includes family allowances of around $10 for each child of the three first children.

The proposal also involves the private sector, through a 10 percent increase of the minimum wage of workers in the commercial, services, agricultural and industrial sectors.

Following a meeting with the interior minister and the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises, the Democratic Confederation of Labor said that the concerned parties agreed to continue their dialogue to reach a trilateral agreement after an arrangement to improve wages by May 1.

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As Syrian Opposition Sweep into Aleppo, Army Closes Airport and Roads

A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)
A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)
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As Syrian Opposition Sweep into Aleppo, Army Closes Airport and Roads

A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)
A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)

Syrian authorities closed Aleppo airport as well as all roads leading into the city on Saturday, three military sources told Reuters, as the groups opposed to President Bashar al-Assad said they had reached the heart of Aleppo.
The opposition fighters, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, carried out a surprise sweep through government-held towns this week and reached Aleppo nearly a decade after having been forced out by Assad and his allies.
Russia, one of Assad's key allies, has promised Damascus extra military aid to thwart the opposition, two military sources said, adding new hardware would start arriving in the next 72 hours.
The Syrian army has been told to follow "safe withdrawal" orders from the main areas of the city that the opposition have entered, three army sources said.
The fighters began their incursion on Wednesday and by late Friday an operations room representing the offensive said they were sweeping through various neighbourhoods of Aleppo.
They are returning to the city for the first time since 2016, when Assad and his allies Russia, Iran, and regional Shi'ite militias retook it, with the insurgents agreeing to withdraw after months of bombardment and siege.
Mustafa Abdul Jaber, a commander in the Jaish al-Izza opposition brigade, said their speedy advance this week had been helped by a lack of Iran-backed manpower in the broader Aleppo province. Iran's allies in the region have suffered a series of blows at the hands of Israel as the Gaza war has expanded through the Middle East.
The opposition fighters have said the campaign was in response to stepped-up strikes in recent weeks against civilians by the Russian and Syrian air force on areas in opposition-held Idlib, and to preempt any attacks by the Syrian army.
Opposition sources in touch with Turkish intelligence said Turkiye, which supports the opposition, had given a green light to the offensive.
But Turkish foreign ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said on Friday that Turkiye sought to avoid greater instability in the region and had warned recent attacks undermined de-escalation agreements.
The attack is the biggest since March 2020, when Russia and Turkiye agreed to a deal to de-escalate the conflict.
CIVILIANS KILLED IN FIGHTING
On Friday, Syrian state television denied opposition had reached the city and said Russia was providing Syria's military with air support.
The Syrian military said it was fighting back against the attack and had inflicted heavy losses on the insurgents in the countryside of Aleppo and Idlib.
David Carden, UN Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, said: "We're deeply alarmed by the situation unfolding in northwest Syria."
"Relentless attacks over the past three days have claimed the lives of at least 27 civilians, including children as young as 8 years old."
Syrian state news agency SANA said four civilians including two students were killed on Friday in Aleppo by insurgent shelling of university student dormitories. It was not clear if they were among the 27 dead reported by the UN official.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Moscow regarded the attack as a violation of Syria's sovereignty.
"We are in favor of the Syrian authorities bringing order to the area and restoring constitutional order as soon as possible," he said.