Civil servants from various sectors in Algeria will go on a 48-hour general strike on April 26 and 27 to protest the rising prices of essential goods and commodities, as well as the gradually deteriorating economic and social situation in the country. The strike will also be observed to denounce the government’s economic policies over the last several years, which coupled with chronic corruption, has led to a steep decline in the purchasing power of ordinary Algerians.
The strike, called by the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions, will see participation from unionized civil servants and other workers from about thirty individual unions. Workers from sectors such as education, health, municipal and local administration, transport, and aviation will also take part.
In a statement, the confederation noted that “the government’s inability to curb rising prices and put a stop to the deterioration of public services” points to a “dangerous social situation for Algerian employees.” It said that the strike was an “expression of workers’ anger,” and is a “warning before (further) escalation.” The union demanded immediate action from the government to protect the purchasing power of Algerians. It also called upon the government to introduce new financial assistance schemes to help workers cope with their expenses, besides also taking steps to create more jobs.
The Algerian government headed by president Abdelmadjid Tebboune has so far not been able to offer the country any solutions to bring it out of the economic and social crisis of the last few years. As a result, Algerians continue to face severe economic hardships on a daily basis.
