The Trade Union Confederation of Productive Forces (COSYFOP) strongly condemns the serious abuses that took place during Algeria’s legislative election campaign on 2 July 2026. These practices undermine the principle of trade union neutrality enshrined in Law No. 23-02 on the Exercise of Trade Union Rights and once again expose the selective enforcement of this legislation.

COSYFOP has documented, with compelling evidence, the involvement of several leaders of the General Union of Algerian Workers (UGTA) in the legislative elections. This includes political endorsements made by the UGTA Secretary General, Amar Takdjout, as well as by several general secretaries of sectoral trade unions. Official trade union communication channels, union premises and organizational resources were openly used to campaign for specific candidates and to encourage workers to vote in their favour.

Such conduct constitutes a clear violation of Articles 13 and 14 of Law No. 23-02, which safeguard the independence and political neutrality of trade union organizations and prohibit their use for political or partisan purposes.

Even more troubling is the complete inaction of the public authorities, particularly the Ministry of Labour and the National Independent Authority for Elections (ANIE). While these institutions have enforced the same law with exceptional severity against independent trade unions and their members, they have failed to open a single investigation or initiate any legal proceedings in response to these obvious violations.

By contrast, COSYFOP and the independent trade unions affiliated with it have long been subjected to arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement of this legislation. Numerous trade union activists have been prevented from standing for election or even from publicly supporting candidates who share their values, for fear of administrative dissolution, judicial sanctions or politically motivated prosecutions.

This discriminatory enforcement of the law not only creates unequal treatment among trade union organizations; it effectively excludes independent unions from meaningful participation in public life while allowing pro-government trade unions to engage freely in electoral campaigning. Such unequal treatment is incompatible with the principle of equality before the law and seriously undermines freedom of association and trade union independence guaranteed under ILO Conventions No. 87 and No. 98.

These practices have also contributed significantly to the widespread electoral boycott, particularly among workers, many of whom have lost confidence in the integrity of the electoral process and in the equal treatment of political and social actors.

Beyond breaches of domestic legislation, these developments highlight the persistent gap between Algeria’s international commitments on freedom of association and their effective implementation. They raise serious concerns regarding the country’s compliance with ILO Convention No. 87 (Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948) and ILO Convention No. 98 (Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949).

Accordingly, the Trade Union Confederation of Productive Forces (COSYFOP):

• Strongly condemns the use of trade union premises, resources and organizational structures for electoral campaigning.
• Calls on the competent authorities to enforce the law equally and impartially with respect to all trade union organizations, without exception, or publicly acknowledge its selective and discriminatory application.
• Calls for the urgent review and repeal of legal provisions that restrict the civil and political rights of trade unionists and trade union organizations, in order to bring Algerian legislation fully into line with ILO Conventions No. 87 and No. 98.
• Announces that it will formally submit these documented violations, together with evidence of the discriminatory enforcement of Law No. 23-02 and the restrictions imposed on the civil and political rights of independent trade unionists, to the ILO Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR).

COSYFOP reaffirms that the rule of law cannot exist without equal application of the law to all, without exception. Respect for trade union and political freedoms requires an independent judiciary, impartial public institutions and the full implementation of Algeria’s international obligations under international labour standards.