On the occasion of International Workers’ Day (May 1), which commemorates workers’ struggles for dignity and social justice, SHOAA for Human Rights warns of a serious escalation in the restriction of trade union freedoms in Algeria, amid what appears to be a systematic siege targeting independent trade union activity and its activists.
The organization strongly condemns this authoritarian approach, which relies on administrative and judicial tools to suppress free union voices and impose arbitrary restrictions on the rights to organize and strike, in clear violation of the Constitution and Algeria’s international obligations.
In this context, the organization expresses deep concern over what the National Autonomous Union of Education and Training Workers (CNAPESTE) is facing, in a dangerous precedent where authorities have resorted to the judiciary to seek the dissolution of an entire union. The Administrative Court of Bir Mourad Raïs examined the case on April 28, 2026, filed by the Ministry of Labor with the support of the Ministry of Education, before postponing it and granting a two-week period for the concerned parties to respond. This reflects a clear trend toward criminalizing trade union activity and attempting to subjugate it by force, within a broader pattern of repression that includes the prosecution of union leaders and the closure of dialogue channels.
The organization also condemns what the National Autonomous Union of Public Administration Workers (SNAPAP) has faced, namely the prevention of its national congress scheduled for April 11–12, 2026 in Algiers, despite fulfilling all legal requirements, following direct administrative intervention that led to the closure of the venue without any legal justification. This reflects a clear intent to stifle independent trade union activity.
The organization further warns against the continued imposition of arbitrary restrictions on the right to strike through a complex legal framework that effectively empties this right of its substance, in stark contradiction with international standards, particularly ILO conventions. These policies not only violate rights and freedoms but also signal a dangerous trend toward undermining trade union pluralism, weakening the independence of organizations, and replacing dialogue with repression.
Accordingly, SHOAA for Human Rights holds the Algerian authorities responsible for this deterioration and calls for an end to the repression of independent unions, the withdrawal of the lawsuit against CNAPESTE, enabling unions to operate freely, and respecting trade union rights and social dialogue in line with international standards.
In this context, the organization reaffirms its full solidarity with workers and trade unionists, emphasizing that the defense of trade union rights is an essential part of the broader struggle for dignity and justice, and calling for unified efforts to resist all forms of repression.
