As part of a new step in the international effort to defend trade union rights and promote principles of transparency and accountability, the National Autonomous Union of Electricity and Gas Workers (SNATEG), in cooperation with Committee for Justice, an international human rights organization based in Geneva, filed a formal complaint on Monday, June 16, 2025, before thethe U.S. National Contact Point (NCP) within the framework of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, against the following parties:
- IndustriALL Global Union, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and the Algerian union was a member of it.
- And the American companyGeneral Electric", one of the world's leading multinational companies in the fields of technology and energy.
Subject of the Complaint
The complaint alleges serious violations. OECD Guidelinesin particular those related to transparency, the effective participation of affected parties, and the respect for fundamental labor rights — foremost among them the right to trade union representation and participation in dispute resolution.
The disputed agreement
The complaint focuses specifically on a confidential agreement concluded on April 22, 2022, between the Industrielle Union and General Electric, It was used to close a previous complaint filed in 2018. by SNATEG in cooperation with the same union.
Although the details of this agreement have not been fully published, The US State Department published the related final statement on its official website., which makes referring to it public and legally permissible.
The SNATEG asserts that it was an original party to the 2018 complaint and that it was completely excluded from the negotiation process that led to this agreement. It was neither consulted nor involved in any way, despite being the directly concerned party in the proceedings subject to settlement..
Respect for confidentiality rules
Despite the significance of these developments, the National Union and the Justice Committee affirm that the content of the new complaint remains subject to procedural confidentiality, in compliance with the rules adopted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Therefore, at this stage, the details of the complaint or the progress of its consideration will not be disclosed until the official procedures are completed or a statement is issued by the relevant authorities.
Commenting on this step, Mr. Raouf Mellal, President of SNATEG, stated:
"We will never tire or relent in our struggle to reclaim the rights and dignity of our union. The serious harm inflicted on our organization by this unjust agreement—concluded without our knowledge or consent—will not be erased by silence or neglect. We will continue to pursue action before all relevant international bodies until our union is fully recognized as a primary and directly affected party, and until the voice is returned to its rightful place within the institutions of free and independent trade unionism."
Call to follow
The National Autonomous Union of Electricity and Gas Workers (SNATEG), together with the Committee for Justice, calls on all relevant trade union and human rights actors to closely and responsibly follow this process. They emphasize the need for strict adherence to international standards in the resolution of labor-related disputes, particularly with regard to:
- Ensuring the full and effective exercise of trade union representation;
- Guaranteeing transparency throughout the dispute resolution process;
- Securing fair and equitable outcomes for all affected parties.
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