Algeria - strike

Steelworkers' strike enters second week

Article published on the 2010-01-20 Latest update 2010-01-20 17:07 TU

Workers at an ArcelorMittal steel plant.
Photo: ArcelorMittal

The 7,200 workers at the ArcelorMittal steel plant in Annaba, east Algeria, continued their strike for an eighth day on Wednesday, while they await a court ruling on the management's petition to suspend their industrial action. The workers' union objects to the planned closure of the El Hadjar coking complex, which employs 320 people.

ArcelorMittal's management has appealed to an Algerian court to disqualify the strike as illegal and force the workers to suspend it.

The judge was due to deliver his verdict on Tuesday, but postponed the ruling until Wednesday, allowing strikers to continue their industrial action for a further day.

The strike was called on 12 January to demand the re-opening of the steel plant's 30-year-old coking complex, which has been closed since October for safety reasons.

Renovating the ageing facility would cost €28 million, according to ArcelorMittal, which would prefer to shut down the complex and reassign its employees.

The management plans to invest €142 million in other parts of the El Hadjar plant between 2010 and 2014.

The workers' union will continue its strike until they have a written promise that some of this money be used to save the coking complex, union officials have said.