Algeria: 60,000 employees to benefit from increase in allowances returns, proposals to raise financial workers’ grants

National Federation of Finance and Planning Workers belonging to the Central Trade Union called on Finance Minister AbdelKrim Djoudi to raise grants and allowances of the 60 thousand workers at the Finance Ministry in Algeria by 20 to 25 percent. It concerns danger, returns and movement’s grants.The National Federation requested this increase for workers in taxes, treasury, land surveying, state’s properties, the general finance inspectorate, planning and budget.

It also asked the ministry to adopt the sovereignty grant estimated at 8,000 DA for all employees at the Finance Ministry as they belong to one of the sovereignty ministries which is the Finance Ministry. On the other hand, all employees at interior, foreign affairs, and justice ministries benefit from this grant, except finance workers.

The head of the National Federation of Finance Workers, Ahmed Zwawi stated to Echorouk Al yaoumi that the ministry of finance approved the increase in grants and allowances value and that they started preparing the project preparations in order to present it to the financial ministry for negotiation and ratification.

He added that the increase has nothing to do with that recent one in the civil wage workers service where they benefited from increases ranging between 4,500 and 12 thousand dinars in basic wage starting from January 2008.

In the same context, he explained that the issue is about other grants increases provided by basic laws for financial staff.

According to Ahmed Zwawi, the federation asked the finance minister to apply the grants increase which became equal to 45 Algerian dinars in all grants and bonuses received by workers in various financial departments as the new civil service law stated. That is meant to raise the financial impact value in order to let workers benefit from grant increases.

The federation chairman confirmed that he held with some trade union leaders a long meeting with Finance Minister Abdelkrim Djoudi, few days ago to discuss the application of evidentiary value point on grants and bonuses.

He added that the minister of finance granted permission to proceed with the preparation of those proposals and gave instructions to all financial sectors branches to open consultations with trade unions belonging to financial public service’s sector to negotiate on the issue.

“Employees at the financial sector are entitled to benefit from the grant of sovereignty as the staff of the justice, foreign affairs, and interior ministries,” said Ahmed Zwawi.

He pointing out that it is time for official adoption, after basic laws became ready”

He spoke about a serious problem concerning the absence of control over social services funds held from finance workers’ salaries. That has existed since the finance trade unions were dismantled from each other after they had been under one federal’s wing. The sector’s workers spread now over several federations such as the National Federation of Customs, NF of banks and insurance, NF of finance workers and planning.

Zwawi said “the new strategy relies on establishing national committees for social services in order to supervise workers’ benefit from social privileges as other sectors”.