Pensions of Algerian Sonatrach's workers need review

Secretary General of the National Union of Sonatrach's Workers, whose number is 36 thousand worded strong warnings to the energy ministry labour ministry as it is in charge of retirement and social security of an imminent explosion of the social front at Sonatrach. This is due to anger among the workers since the joint ministerial commission’s decision joint to refuse including the pensions of those who work under the compensatory system whose number is 20 thousand workers.

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• In this regard, Abdelkrim Lamouri, Secretary General of Sonatrach worker’s union, which belongs to hydrocarbons and gas federation, called on the ministries of labour and energy to take their responsibilities towards those workers and grant pensions for them. Like the rest of Sonatrach’s workers residing with their families in the Sahara.
• Lamouri told Echorouk that the number of workers who do not benefit from the grant in retirement pensions is estimated at 20 thousand, equivalent to 80 percent of the total estimated 36 thousand workers. They work in compensatory system during the whole year. They also operate for one month to benefit from three weeks holidays later. They are exposed to heat, sun rays and hard climatic conditions in oil and gas fields in the desert; just like other resident workers, who receive the region grant in their pensions when they retire.
• He added that the union used every means to include the region grant within pensions’ grant of the 20 thousand workers.  The pretext was that the inclusion of the grant region in the retirement system requires amending the ordinance issued on May 1st, 1996.  
• What made the situation worse are decisions made by the joint committee between the ministries of labour, energy, finance, which linked the question of the inclusion in the retirement system to the financial situation of the institutions belonging to Sonatrach and its subsidiaries.
• In this context, the National Federation of Oil and Gas Workers will have a meeting with the minister of energy, Chakib Khalil, to discuss this issue and find a solution to the workers.              
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