For 13 days, from 31 December to January 13, 2013, the place of the great post in Algiers was renamed "Tahrir" by postal workers on strike. The post in Algeria sector employs almost 25000 workers. It is a strategic sector, particularly because officials there have an account on which their salary is paid. The Algerian position is a public undertaking economic and commercial nature.
Until recently, the UGTA (General of Algerian Workers Union) was the only Union in the sector, with benefits and many privileges of different natures. July 2, 2012, workers have decided to file an application with the power to create an autonomous Union of posts. The Act specifies that the authorities concerned should give a reply within a period of 30 days. So far in January 2013, there is still no response from the Ministry. Two months after the filing of the application, the Autonomous Trade Union postal workers have sent a first press release to denounce this state of affairs; It has been widely disseminated by the national press. The Ministry of labour has responded by a letter stating that the file was incomplete, usual practice in this case. The independent launched a campaign for membership despite everything.
December 31, employees have not received an incentive award to which they were entitled. The UGTA, to regild the blazon, then launched a strike without notice, what is illegal. The recovery was at the outset planned for January 2, Union executives knew in advance that the premium would be granted but they concealed it from workers. The purpose was to outflank the autonomous trade unionists and to regain a semblance of Union legitimacy. But they were unmasked by documents which proved that there had been negotiations hidden with the power. The problem of premiums is far from being the only one in the sector, the independent decided to call to continue the strike. They have not done on behalf of the autonomous trade union of posts, which does not yet exist officially, but as a independent collective. They demanded the formation of an independent commission of inquiry on the management of their mutual by management and the UGTA; funds are indeed diverted for years… They also demanded an increase in wages, frozen since 2008. The UGTA when stated to her that it was a completely fanciful claim.
During the 13 days of strikes that followed, the UGTA has done everything to undermine the movement (threats of lawsuits and formal notice of the strikers, nighttime negotiations with management…). Fact and hollow, in the press, the power acknowledged the existence of a trade union movement in the post as he spoke in his public statements of the Ugta as being the only "legitimate Union" sector. The manoeuvres of the UGTA with power are now known of all postal workers. The Trade Union Centre benefit from years of permanent detachments accompanied by material benefits, in exchange of what they serve the direction and power.
On 13 January, fearing a contagion of the movement in other areas, the Minister met with autonomous representatives of staff and was forced to recognize the legitimacy of the strike. It has committed in writing to give the majority of the claims of the strikers: revision of wages, a Ministerial Committee will be responsible for shedding light on the embezzlement of funds in the mutual contracts "helped" the most precarious in the sector workers should be commuted in stable after 3 years jobs, it is also foreseen a redesign of the collective agreement which will be entrusted to a Committee of experts elected by all the workers… The movement thus ends on a victory that his actors call history, power has declined, it is an encouragement to workers in other sectors.
During the strike, in Algiers, postal workers have renamed the square of the great post Tahrir square…
For CISA
Stéphane ELAN
January 16, 2013
Source: http://cisa-algerie.com/?p=169
