{"id":3432,"date":"2026-06-20T00:11:55","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T23:11:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cosyfop.ovh\/?p=3432"},"modified":"2026-06-20T00:11:59","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T23:11:59","slug":"%d9%85%d8%a4%d8%aa%d9%85%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b3%d9%86%d8%a7%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%a8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cosyfop.ovh\/en\/%d9%85%d8%a4%d8%aa%d9%85%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b3%d9%86%d8%a7%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%a8\/","title":{"rendered":"International Trade Union Federations Condemn the Blocking of SNAPAP\u2019s Congress: Is Trade Union Freedom in Algeria Being Held Hostage by Administrative and Security Interference?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A joint statement<\/a> issued by the Public Services International (PSI)<\/a> Despitethe International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF)<\/a> has renewed international concern over the state of trade union freedoms in Algeria. The two global federations strongly condemned the obstruction of the National Congress of the National Autonomous Union of Public Administration Personnel (SNAPAP), an affiliate of the Trade Union Confederation of Productive Forces (COSYFOP), which was scheduled to take place in April 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This latest international intervention demonstrates that the SNAPAP case can no longer be dismissed as a purely domestic matter, as Algeria\u2019s Ministry of Labour appears to believe. Nor can it simply be buried following the death in exile of the union\u2019s former president, Rachid Malaoui, in France in 2023. Instead, the situation has become the subject of increasing scrutiny by the international trade union movement and human rights organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Unifying Congress Aimed at Rebuilding the Union<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

According to information previously published by SNAPAP<\/a> , the union has been working since 2024 to organize an inclusive national congress designed to reunify the various factions of the organization after years of internal divisions and organizational disputes, many of which stemmed from government interference in the union\u2019s internal affairs.\n\nThe initiative repr<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The initiative represented a serious effort to restore democratic legitimacy through transparent and participatory mechanisms. The proposed congress was intended to bring together all currents within the union movement in an open electoral process, allowing members to determine the future of their organization freely and independently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Algerian authorities, particularly the Ministry of Labour and the Wilaya of Algiers, repeatedly failed to respond to the notifications and applications submitted to obtain the legal authorization required to hold the congress in a hotel in Algiers. Ultimately, the authorities even refused to receive the final official notification served through a bailiff and transmitted by the union\u2019s legal counsel. As a result, the congress was effectively blocked, depriving trade unionists of one of their most fundamental organizational rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Complaint Before the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The blocking of the 2026 congress is only the latest episode in a long pattern of restrictions that has pushed SNAPAP to seek international remedies, including through the Committee on Freedom of Association of the International Labour Organization (ILO), which met recently during the International Labour Conference in Geneva.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2025, with the support of PSI and IUF, SNAPAP filed a formal complaint before the Committee on Freedom of Association, alleging a series of violations affecting trade union rights and the independence of trade union activity in Algeria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The complaint relies on ILO Conventions No. 87 and No. 98<\/a> , both ratified by Algeria, which guarantee workers the right to establish organizations of their own choosing, elect their representatives freely, and manage their internal affairs without interference from public authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The authorities\u2019 refusal to allow SNAPAP to hold its national congress now constitutes one of the strongest pieces of evidence supporting the complaint, as it directly undermines the union\u2019s ability to renew its leadership and governing structures through democratic means.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Belkacem Felfoul Case and Questions About the Rule of Law<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Amid this controversy, the situation surrounding Mr. Belkacem Felfoul, whom the Ministry of Labour continues to recognize as the legitimate Secretary-General of SNAPAP, has become a subject of growing concern within both national and international trade union circles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Article 56 of Law 23-02 governing the exercise of trade union rights limits members of executive bodies to two consecutive terms in office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet the situation maintained by the Ministry of Labour has allowed Mr. Felfoul to remain at the head of the organization for many years, reportedly serving a sixth consecutive term despite the clear provisions of the law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The issue is not about challenging Mr. Felfoul personally. Rather, it raises a broader question regarding equality before the law.\n\nIf Algerian authorities repeatedly assure international bodies that Law 23-02 is being applied rigorously, why has Article 56 apparently been disregarded in Mr. Felfoul\u2019s case? Why does the Ministry of Labour continue to tolerate a situation that appears inconsistent with the law while simultaneously invoking the same provision against other independent unions, notably CNAPESTE, which is currently facing judicial proceedings aimed at its dissolution?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This apparent inconsistency raises legitimate questions regarding the impartiality of the administration in its dealings with different trade unions. It also reinforces concerns that legal provisions are being used selectively to legitimize administrative interference in union affairs, contrary to Algeria\u2019s international obligations regarding freedom of association.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Administrative Control Versus Trade Union Independence<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At its core, this dispute goes far beyond individuals or organizational structures. It concerns a fundamental principle enshrined in the international labour standards ratified by Algeria: workers must be free to choose their representatives without external interference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If SNAPAP members wish to replace their leadership, that decision should be made through a democratic congress and free elections. If they wish to renew their confidence in the current leadership, that choice should equally belong to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By preventing the congress from taking place through the refusal of the necessary administrative authorization, the authorities effectively deny members the opportunity to exercise this right and place questions of legitimacy under administrative and security control rather than the free will of workers themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite<\/strong>these obstacles, SNAPAP continues its efforts to convene an inclusive congress capable of reunifying the organization and renewing its structures through democratic procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This commitment deserves recognition and support. It reflects a genuine determination to overcome historical divisions and build a strong, independent trade union capable of defending workers\u2019 interests free from political, administrative, or security interference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Statement by the President of COSYFOP<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Commenting on these developments, Raouf Mellal, President of the Trade Union Confederation of Productive Forces (COSYFOP), stated that the obstruction of SNAPAP\u2019s congress constitutes a troubling indication that independent unions affiliated with the Confederation continue to face systematic restrictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Trade Union Confederation of Productive Forces expresses its full solidarity with SNAPAP activists in their struggle to hold their national congress freely and independently. We reaffirm our readiness to mobilize all available trade union, legal, and international mechanisms in support of these efforts and in defense of workers\u2019 legitimate right to manage their organizations without interference or tutelage.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Mellal also called upon international trade union organizations, human rights groups, and the supervisory mechanisms of the International Labour Organization to continue standing alongside Algeria\u2019s independent trade union movement and to intensify efforts to ensure compliance with international standards on freedom of association and trade union rights. Trade union freedom is not a privilege granted by governments. It is a fundamental human right and an essential pillar of any genuine social dialogue and any state committed to the rule of law and its international obligations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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