This contribution deals with the issues of independent trade unions, trade union freedoms and social conflicts in Algeria

However, Algeria faced a set of political and economic changes after the events of October 1988, and the promulgation of the constitution of February 1989, which recognized democratic principles like;  freedom, political  pluralism, and trade union pluralism.

In the framework of labour law and the trade union framework, the constitution stipulated in articles 39 and 54 the right of workers and employees to form and to create  trade unions in the public sector and the right of the strike, thus, various trade unions appeared in different sectors such us: the National Council of Teachers in Higher Education and the National Union of Judges which reconsidered the monopoly of the General Federation of Algerian Workers in representing workers.

In addition , the law 90-04, which was promulgated in 1990,  stipulated the right of strike by allowing trade unions to initiate and frame strikes with the introduction of some principles of freedom, such as the right of trade unions to join international trade union organizations.

Despite these constitutional and legal approaches and perceptions, but in reality, there was a strong resistance of successive governments in the embodiment the rights of  forming trade unions, strikes, and prefer dealing with General Union of Algerian Workers which defended the approaches  of authority  compared to independent trade unions, in the issues of social right of workers and wages…etc.

So, the government restricted the right to participate and to be consulted for trade unions- according to their representations- in collective negotiations and preferred only the General Union of Algerian Workers, although article 39 of Law 90-14 stipulates that the trade unions have the right to be consulted according to their representation. In addition, the authority refused to register and accredit many independent trade unions in the 1990s.

During the period of political violence in the 1990s, the authorities resorted to restricting trade union freedoms and restricted the trade union work of independent trade unions.

Therefore, the trade union freedoms were restricted with the strengthening of the position of the General Union of Algerian Workers affiliated and joined to the authority(government) , which played a double role; Political by defending the authority’s thesis  and unionist by containing workers’ anger and aborting strikes, especially after Algeria concluded the Structural Adjustment Program agreement with the International Monetary Fund in 1995 , which included privatization and layoffs…etc.

Since 2000, the independent trade unions returned again to the protests in the public service, and intensified their contact with the international trade unions, and managed to obtain official accreditation from the authority

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