Labour News Network

We are a French trade union representing your employees in the Parisian region. Over the last year, we have developed strong ties with unionists representing your workers in Hassi Messaoud, Algeria. Indeed, we have relayed their appeals for respect and dignity in the workplace and their fight for better working and living conditions. With shifts of up to 6 weeks on site, they are obliged to sleep in sub-standard dormitories in a state of disrepair and are subjected to hygienically critical conditions.

Some are dispatched to desert campsites for periods of several weeks. Living conditions are difficult with no form of distraction other than work. Their western counterparts are better treated and better paid. We have reported on these conditions via Internet. There have been extremely grave issues on site that we have refrained from reporting in order to respect the wishes of the closest of kin.

Far from listening to your employee’s grievances, firstly on an individual basis and latterly through union representation affiliated to the UGTA, top local executives have reacted with visceral contempt ridiculing your group’s claims to Corporate Social Responsibility and grossly violating your company’s manifest on employee relations (1).

The creation of a local union has been rejected even when advocated by the relevant authorities defending social legislation. Members, and in particular, its general secretary, have reportedly been subjected to harassment and/or dismissal. Management has deposed a series of complaints, the latest for defamation on the Internet, rejected by the Court in Hassi Messaoud on the 8th of January only to be reintroduced in the home district of the accused.

This pursuit of vengeance on an employee dismissed in our opinion unjustly, over six months ago is indicative of the state of mind of your local executives. It is certainly not conforming to a policy of social dialogue such as exists in France where even if opinions sometimes diverge between unions and management, respect of individuals and legislation are the rule.

Algerian management has nothing to gain from such comportment. These issues have been relayed on web servers all over the world and will continue to mar the fragile reputation of Eurest Support Services unless action is taken to inverse the tendency. Indeed, these over-zealous managers are risking large scale worldwide union action against your group which depends for many contracts, particularly with companies where they are influent, on the absence of union hostility.

We urge you to investigate the case of Eurest Support Services in Algeria and to take the necessary steps to assure that social dialogue becomes a reality in this affiliate notably by reinstating Yacine Zaïd, UGTA local union general secretary and recognizing the union’s legitimate right to represent your employees.