International trade union declaration: ‘We stand in full solidarity with our sisters and brothers in Algeria fighting for trade union and democratic rights’

Nine international trade union organizations including the IUF have joined together in a declaration “to  express their full solidarity and support for the ongoing struggle for trade union rights and democratic freedoms in Algeria.” (Click here to view the signed declaration in English, French and Arabic).

“For many years”, the declaration states, “independent unions have been bravely struggling to win legal recognition for their organizations and build a space for workers to freely join and form unions of their own choosing and bargain collectively. These unions have faced targeted dismissals, harassment and persecution of members and elected union leaders for many years, and since February 2019 have faced intensified repression in retaliation for their support for and participation in the mass movement for democracy, the Hirak.

“Since the Hirak emerged in 2019, hundreds of democracy activists and human rights defenders, including independent trade unionists, have been arrested, indicted, placed under police control or condemned to prison. Repression of journalists, media activists and political and human rights defenders has continued since measures to contain the COVID-19 emergency led to a ban on public gatherings and took the Hirak off the streets.

“We stand in full solidarity with our sisters and brothers in Algeria fighting for trade union and democratic rights, and will pursue with all available means our efforts to bring the Algerian government to unconditionally release all those detained and sentenced for their trade union and civic engagement, fully respect democratic rights, including the right to freedom of association, and implement the decisions and recommendations of the ILO to ensure that independent trade unions can organize and represent workers without fear of harassment or retaliation.”