Algiers Airport: workers protest over pay

Air aviation movement at Houari Boumediene International Airport was perturbed on Sunday morning and many trips were delayed because of a sit-in of about 1,400 workers at SGSIA.

Hundreds of SGSIA’s workers protested at the airport to call for pay raise as their firm profits were estimated at more than 600 billion centimes in 2012.

The protesters called on the company to raise their salary to 100 percent from 60 percent. They denounced the administration pay policy as foreign workers earn more than 15,000 Euros per month while Algerian employees get only “crumbs.”

“This policy was supported by the administration and it is held responsible for that,” the workers’ representative told Echorouk.

According to the protesting workers’ pay stub, their salary does not exceed 16,000 DZ although they work for a public firm and it depends on the Algerian transport ministry.

The workers called on the firm to stop that “injustice” and anarchical employment based on favoritism.

Their union held a meeting with SGSIA’s General Director Taher Allache.

“The meeting came up with the setting up of a negotiating commission of 4 representatives of the administration, 4 of the union and 3 independent representatives of the workers,” the union’s leader Omar Safta said.