Tunisian opposition members brandish photos of President Kais Saied, as they shout slogans during a protest against the president and his government, demanding the release of all opposition members, in the capital Tunis. AFP
Since 2017, Noureddine Tabboubi has headed the UGTT union confederation, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015 along with three other Tunisian organisations for their role in the country's democratic transition.
Tabboubi told Tunisian radio channel Mosaique FM that his decision to stay on as the union's leader came "in response to the wishes of the majority of the union's administrative council members".
"The union is bigger than any individual," he said, adding that one priority was "reorganising our internal structure".
"We must learn from these crises and make the union stronger than ever."
A UGTT official had previously told AFP that Tabboubi was resigning due to "internal conflicts, especially around the date of the next congress".
The UGTT has faced a deepening internal crisis in recent months, with some of its members accusing Tabboubi's team of a lack of transparency and demanding new leadership.
His critics recently organised a sit-in at the UGTT's headquarters in central Tunis and called for an extraordinary congress to elect new leaders.
In addition to the internal friction, the organisation is also under pressure from President Kais Saied's government, which has since 2021 staged a widening crackdown on civil society and dissent more broadly.
The union had called for a general strike next Wednesday, but has postponed it indefinitely.
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