Algeria – On September 17, about 30 unionists from the National Union of Electricity and Gas Workers in Algeria, the National Electricity and Gas Company, went to the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Employment to protest and to demand clarifications regarding information state the withdrawal of the registration from their organization, in addition to the need to address the status of 47 trade unionists who have been arbitrarily dismissed by the management of the company for more than four months without the slightest respect for trade union freedoms.
The head of the union, Abdul Raouf Malal, who accompanied the members of the unions from various regions of Algeria, said that the Inspector General of Labour claimed that he is preoccupied and unable to receive the protesting trade union delegation, although the request for clarification was sent more than ten days ago. Then the delegation of trade unionists met the director of labour relations and officials of the ministry where they discussed the legitimacy of the decision to withdraw the registration, in addition to the application of Article 56 of Law 90/14 on the right of trade union and protecting unionists that should be done through labour inspectors to play their role in seeking the integration and protection of trade union delegates.
The National Electricity and Gas Company wants to withdraw the registration to confirm to the public that the union does not exist at all, despite the denial of Secretary-General of the Ministry of Labour to the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva the issuance of this document by the Ministry of Labour however if it turns out that this document is authentic it would be a dangerous precedent in the history of the country since independence, even the ex-FIS union was legally dissolved,” said Mellal.
It is worth mentioning that in case the employee refuses to implement the decisions of the labour inspectors, the labour inspector must take all legal procedures with the competent courts, but the reality is contrary to that as some inspectors failed to implement article 56 of Law 90/14 on the protection of union officials. They also ignored the demands related to the 47 laid-off workers, which required the application of the law within eight days, which raised many doubts about the complicity of labour inspectors with the company.
The National Union of Electricity and Gas Workers in Algeria hopes that the Ministry of Labour take all necessary legal measures to purify the social climate and promote social dialogue so trade unionists would not be forced to organize rallies and protest vigils and prosecute the Algerian Ministry of Labour and file a legal complaint against them in defense of their legitimate rights, as confirmed by the Secretary General of the National Union Abdel Raouf Mellal
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