The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Public Services International (PSI), the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF), the Comité International de Soutien au Syndicalisme Autonome Algérien/CISA (International Support Committee for Autonomous Algerian Trade Unions), the Solidarity Center from AFL-CIO and the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN)

Express
their solidarity with independent Algerian trade unionists who are fighting for the defense of freedom of association;

Condemn
all acts of intimidation and harassment regularly experienced by independent unionists because of their activities aimed at defending trade union rights in Algeria, run independently from the Union générale des travailleurs algériens/UGTA (General Union of Algerian Workers);

Particularly condemn
the arbitrary dismissal of Rachid Malaoui, President of the Syndicat National Autonome des Personnels de l’Administration Publique /SNAPAP (National Autonomous Union of Public Administration Personnel), since May 2013

USE THE FORM BELOW TO SEND NOW A MESSAGE TO ALGERIA GOVERNMENT demanding Rachid Malaoui’s reinstatement! See page:
http://www.iuf.org/cgi-bin/campaigns/show_campaign.cgi?c=804

The Letter

To Abdelaziz Bouteflika
President of the Popular and Democratic Republic of Algeria
El Mouradia
ALGERIA

President Bouteflika,

I wish to express my deep concern regarding the violations of trade union rights in Algeria.

In May 2013, Mr. Rachid Malaoui, President of the Syndicat National Autonome des Personnels de l’Administration Publique (SNAPAP), was removed from his post at the University of Continuous Education. In June and July 2013, both during and after the annual Conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO), several informal negotiations were conducted with the Ministry of Labour and other state institutions, in the course of which Mr. Malaoui was informed about his possible reinstatement. However, to this day, no concrete measures have been taken and all attempts to have his case heard remain unanswered.

I remind you that your government has ratified ILO Convention 87; this means your government has a direct obligation not to interfere with the establishment of trade unions and their independence.

I consider that the actions undertaken by your administration against Mr. Malaoui breach your domestic administrative rules, the Algerian Constitution and ILO Convention 87. These punitive measures are yet one more example of the repression that the SNAPAP and the autonomous Algerian trade union movement are subjected to on a daily basis.

I ask you to consider that addressing the numerous social and economic challenges facing Algeria is only possible through a process of sincere dialogue and negotiation with trade unions and civil society.

I ask you to reinstate Mr. Malaoui in his professional position and restore his rights to union leave of absence without further delay. Further, that you commit your government to engage in a real process of dialogue with the SNAPAP.

Yours sincerely