UGTA Abolishes All Sanctions Against Syndicalist Members

The General Union of Algerian Workers (UGTA) set out to correct what was described as internal deviations, through decisions to stop all sanctions against the union’s structures and members and to initiate measures to prevent the candidacy of members of the conference preparation committees at the level of Wilayas.

In this context, the General Union of Algerian Workers issued a decision to cancel and suspend all penalties issued against union structures and members until new legitimate leaders are elected under conferences that comply with the Basic Law.

These new procedures were revealed through an instruction to the UGTA’s Central Organization Department bearing the number 02/Q.T/2023, addressed to the heads of the conference preparation committees in Wilayas, dated November 6, 2023, whose copy is available to Echorouk.

The instruction stated, “UGTA’s Organization Department calls on all state conference preparation committees to cancel and suspend all punitive measures issued against union structures and frameworks, as well as all regular operations until a new leadership is elected that derives its legitimacy from the conference under the basic law of the General Union of Algerian Workers.”

These measures come in light of the huge number of penalties issued against syndicalists, some of which date back to the period of former Secretary-General Abdelmadjid Sidi Said, and some others were taken with the complicity of their colleagues, as was revealed by the UGTA’s Secretary-General, Ammar Takdjout, during the meeting of the National Executive Committee in mid-October 15 in Algiers.

In another context, the Organization Department began implementing the outcomes of the National Executive Committee meeting and the provisions of the UGTA’s Basic Law prohibiting the candidacy of members of the conference preparation committees, calling on, through instruction, the members of these committees to clarify their status within a maximum period of 15 days from the date of issuance of the instruction.

A Statutory Instruction No. 01 for the same department, dated November 6, signed in the name of the National Secretary in charge of the organization, Abderrahmane Rebahi – a copy is available to Echorouk-, that “these procedures were based on the UGTA’s basic law and in implementation of the decisions approved at the session of the National Executive Committee held on October 16, 2023, which includes preventing the candidacy of members of the conference preparation committees.

The same document explained that the procedures are issued so that the Organization Department can carry out its duties in setting up committees to guarantee good organization for preparing these important statutory appointments.

The Organization Department added that if this situation is not clarified within the specified period, these members will be considered not interested in running for office.

Previously, UGTA’s Secretary-General, Ammar Takdjout, had delivered a speech during the first meeting of the National Executive Committee in mid-October, carrying a black picture of the inherited internal situation of the largest syndicate in Algeria, which included harsh self-flagellation and an acknowledgement of the deviations that had occurred previously.

Takdjout also spoke about the issue of the impossibility of extending terms, because they have no legal basis, in addition to the impossibility of nominating members of conference preparation committees and preventing the accumulation of terms, as these decisions were unanimously voted by the attendees.

Furthermore, the National Secretary in charge of disputes and economic affairs at the General Union of Algerian Workers, Mohamed Zoubiri, told Echorouk a few days ago, that the era of injustice against workers and trade unionists by administrations and abuse against them has ended, indicating that the new leadership has inherited a heavy burden. Some disputes have been ongoing for years, and a syndicalist who is proven to be complicit against his colleague has no choice but to leave UGTA’s central office permanently.