with our correspondent in Tunis, Amira Souilem

" Members of the jury... to the table please!... " The atmosphere is electric at the Institute of Higher Tourism Studies, a hotel school located in the suburbs of Tunis. The country's top chefs have gathered to choose the candidate who will represent the country at a couscous competition to be held in Italy in a few weeks.

In the audience, Majd, 23, a trainee chef who already sees himself as a seasonal worker in France where in May last year, the Union of Hotel and Catering Industries proposed to the government to recruit 4,000 Tunisian seasonal workers. Majd is waiting for one thing: for the partnership between France and Tunisia to be officially signed. The UMIH (Union of Hotel and Catering Industries) wants to sign in June in Tunis this agreement that will link ANETI, the Tunisian employment agency, and French companies wishing to recruit Tunisian seasonal workers paid according to the wage scales of the hotel and restaurant sector in France. " Everyone knows that culinary art was born in France and we all dream of improving our technical skills by working in France. If I go to France, dreams Majd, I would take advantage of every hour to learn as many things as possible. I know it's hard to get there, but my dream would be to work for a starred establishment. "

The contracts in question should not exceed five months. Despite significant working hours, the salary will not exceed the minimum wage. Nothing to discourage Tunisian candidates, quite the opposite.

Zied Baklouti, a classmate of Majd, is also very keen to try the adventure. " Even if they only hire us for a month it will be great. Even just one week ! It gives time to show what you can do. And when the employer sees what you are capable of, he won't want to let you go, he'll want to keep you on his team! "

This partnership, if confirmed, would be a godsend for Zied and Majd who wish to apply in Tunisia what they will have learned in France.

Others already dream of a new life on the other side of the Mediterranean. But there are also more nuanced reactions because the possible recruitment of Tunisian staff to respond to the lack of manpower in France creates concerns.

" Tunisia also needs workers "

But some, like chef Rafik Tlatli, a member of the Tunisian Association of Culinary Arts Professionals, fear that these possible departures will disrupt the Tunisian labor market. " Personally, I wish the best for Tunisians who choose to go work in France but this must not make us forget that Tunisia also needs workers. Our hotels also need manpower. Our hotels have reopened here too. We have the same problem as in France here in Tunisia.

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During the two years of Covid, staff working in the tourism industry here chose to do something other than their original profession and now Tunisia also has personnel needs. I am afraid that this agreement with France will have negative consequences for us. I am afraid that the quality of service or even food will suffer. What will be the solution if people leave ? Bring in staff from African countries? Why not. This will shift the problem. Tunisians go to France and we will bring in staff from African countries, why not... Now the question that will arise will be that of language because these people do not speak Arabic but French. We will see, I am getting ahead of myself but I hope we won't have to resort to that. "