Mohamed Ali El Hammi
Mohamed Ali El Hammi was an early twentieth-century Tunisian labor organizer during the era of the French protectorate over Tunisia. He is deemed as the father of Tunisian syndicalism.
Life and legacy
He was born in El Hamma, Gabès, Tunisia. He moved to Tunis at age 8 when his mother died. He began his professional life as a personal driver for the Hungarian consul in Tunis. He also worked as a porter before obtaining his driving license in 1908. He then left for Germany and studied economics and political science at the University of Berlin.He founded the Confédération générale des travailleurs tunisiens in 1924, a year after returning to the country. He led strikes and formed regional unions across Tunisia. He was a friend and contemporary of Tahar Haddad.
He was arrested and exiled by the French in 1925.