Raouf Mellal: Trade Union Pluralism, Article 87 bis, and the Relationship Between Independent Unions and the International Trade Union Confederation
In an interview with Radio des sans voix, Raouf Mellal, President of the Trade Union Confederation of Productive Forces (COSYFOP), addressed three major challenges facing trade union work in Algeria today: the myth of official trade union pluralism and its impact on independent unions, the risks posed by Article 87 bis of the Penal Code, COSYFOP’s international action on this issue, and the troubled relationship between Algerian independent unions and the International Trade Union Confederation […]
International Pressure Lifts the Veil on the UGTA’s Silence
At a time when trade union activity in Algeria is under unprecedented pressure, the solidarity statement issued by the French SUD-Rail Federation of Trade Unions raises fundamental questions about the reality of the trade union movement, not only from the perspective of authoritarian repression, but also from the perspective of silence and complicity within the official union (the General Union of Algerian Workers) itself. SUD-Rail is one of the trade union federations affiliated with […]
Ten Algerian Unionists Imprisoned: UGTA Silent, ITUC Siding with the Government
The imprisonment of 10 prominent union leaders from the General Union of Algerian Workers (UGTA) has shaken the national scene, raising a wave of questions about the state of union freedoms, especially as it echoes a worrying scenario imposed on the railway workers' federation for the second time in a year. The case dates back to a spontaneous strike by railway workers on November 26, 2025, which brought train traffic to a standstill.