By Raouf Mellal — Geneva, July 20, 2025
What happens when loyalty to the “official” union becomes a liability rather than protection? The case of Lounis Saïdi offers a devastating answer. In Algeria, it is no longer surprising to see trade unionists thrown in jail merely for notifying the authorities of a strike. But what happened to union leader Lounis Saïdi reveals a disturbing paradox. Unlike the narrative often pushed by the government—that repression targets only “unrecognized” independent unions—Saïdi was not part of any such structure. On the contrary, he held the position of Secretary General of the National Federation of Railway Workers, a body affiliated with the UGTA (General Union of Algerian Workers), officially described by the state as its “social partner.”
On June 25, 2025, Saïdi exercised his union mandate and submitted an official strike notice to the Ministry of Transport. The demands were straightforward: the implementation of wage increases agreed upon in 2023, better working conditions, and an end to administrative interference in union elections. His actions were fully in line with the country’s constitutional and legal frameworks—yet the authorities saw it differently.
On July 5, 2025—a symbolic date marking Algeria’s Independence Day—Saïdi was arrested and placed in pretrial detention. Less than two weeks later, on July 17, he was sentenced to two years in prison and handed a heavy fine. The charges stemmed directly from his union activities and his exercise of the right to strike.
What made the ruling even more outrageous was the response from Saïdi’s own union leadership. Instead of defending him, his central federation revoked the strike notice, stripped him of his union status, and effectively handed him over to the authorities—branding him a “rogue actor” rather than a labor activist standing up for workers’ rights. The very “official” union he belonged to turned its back on him the moment he dared to exercise a constitutional right.
This is precisely what independent unions—deemed “illegal” by the authorities—do not do. Despite limited resources and relentless pressure, we have never abandoned our members in the face of repression. The contrast is now stark: between those who defend their rank-and-file with integrity, and those who sell them out at the first sign of risk.
The case of Lounis Saïdi lays bare the false nature of so-called “official” unions in Algeria. It reaffirms what many have long understood: state-granted legitimacy is nothing more than a tool of control and domestication. Real legitimacy is not handed down by power—it is earned through struggle, through the fight for independence and autonomy, not through obedience or alignment with the regime’s narrative.
What happened sets a dangerous precedent. Saïdi wasn’t arrested for organizing a street protest—as we often do—or for publicly criticizing the government and its flawed policies. He was arrested, tried, and imprisoned simply for sending a formal strike notice through the official administrative channels. If that alone is enough to land a unionist in prison, then what remains of the right to strike or to organize?
Once again, the Algerian authorities have shown that they make no distinction between a unionist “legitimized” through official channels and an independent, grassroots activist. Both are subjected to the same machinery of loyalty and obedience. For those who still believe that affiliation with an official union offers protection, the case of Saïdi is a sobering reminder: state-sanctioned legitimacy protects no one—it may, in fact, be the very trap that ensures your downfall.
Moreover, the new Trade Union Law (2023)—which we have repeatedly denounced for its repressive nature and its incompatibility with international standards—has served only one purpose: to restrict freedoms and criminalize strikes in key sectors. In Saïdi’s case, it was used explicitly as a legal instrument to justify his prosecution.
Even media hypocrisy played its part. The case of Lounis Saïdi attracted considerable international coverage, while the case of unionist Ali Mammeri—no less serious—was largely ignored. This reveals a sobering truth: despite its criticism of the Algerian regime, much of the international press still operates within carefully drawn boundaries. It seldom gives the independent labor movement the attention—or the justice—it truly deserves.
The cases of Lounis Saïdi and Ali Mammeri—the latter falsely accused of terrorism—are not isolated incidents. They are a mirror reflecting the state of freedoms in Algeria, and a political and moral test for anyone who claims to stand for social justice and the right to organize in this country.
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