The arrest of the Secretary-General of the Railway Union has thrown the union scene into disarray on the eve of a national strike that was called off at the last minute.

The National Federation of Railway Workers, affiliated with the General Union of Algerian Workers (UGTA), experienced a surprising development after its former Secretary-General, Lounis Saidi, was placed in pretrial detention on Friday, July 5, 2025. This development led to the cancellation of the open-ended national strike scheduled to begin Sunday, July 7, in a move that has thrown the sector's union scene into disarray.

On June 25, Saidi sent an official notice of strike to the Minister of Transport, protesting what he described as “serious violations,” most notably:

Closing the doors of dialogue with the social partner,

Systematic marginalization of competencies,

Administrative interference in union affairs,

Violation of the provisions of the Constitution and laws regulating union work.

The strike statement also included accusations against the administration of "unfair management" of retirement benefits, depriving workers of their rights to social services, including summer camps, and violations in the organization of joint committee elections.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, the UGTA leadership did not issue any statement of solidarity with the detained unionist, sparking widespread discontent among workers and union activists.

Following his arrest, the Federal Bureau held an emergency meeting on July 6, during which Mohamed Jebrani was appointed as the new Secretary-General and the strike was officially called off. The previous decision was described as "null and illegal" for not meeting the requirements set forth in Law 90/02 on collective labor disputes and the exercise of union rights.

The new statement called on workers to avoid "any action outside the legal framework," adhering to the option of dialogue to preserve the stability of the sector and the interests of workers.

Reactions and widespread polarization

Saidi's arrest sparked a wave of reactions on social media, with many believing the arrest was in response to his announcement of a strike and his defense of workers' rights. Some described the incident as a "union coup," especially given the swift appointment of a replacement leadership within the federation without awaiting the results of the investigation or a court ruling.

COSYFOP: Denouncing the “Union Coup”

For its part, the Confederation of Trade Unions of Productive Forces (COSYFOP) expressed its full solidarity with Lounis Saidi, denouncing what it considered complicity by the UGTA leadership, which “abandoned one of its activists instead of defending him.”

In a statement, the Confederation considered what happened to be further evidence of the official unions' subservience to government policies, as they are no longer a tool for defending workers but rather a means of thwarting any real field action.

The leader of the Confederation of Productive Forces, Abdelkader Kawafi, commented by saying:

“It is time for workers to realize that independent union action is the only way to ensure dignity and integrity within the union, far from the logic of selling out and backstabbing.”

This incident reflects the fragility of the trade union landscape in Algeria, where administrative pressures and internal tensions intersect with the lack of effective legal protection for unionists, thus eroding the right to strike and union activity of its constitutional significance.