Trade unions in Algeria

Infobox Union by Country
country = Algeria
national = UGTA
government =
legislation = Article 56, Constitution [cite web
title=Article 56 [Unions]
work=Constitution of Algeria
url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Algeria
accessdate=2007-05-18]
membership_number =
union_percentage1_title =
union_percentage1 =
union_percentage2_title =
union_percentage2 =
ILOmember = Yes
ILO-87date = 19 November 1962
ILO-98date = 19 November 1962Prior to Algerian independence in 1962, trade unions in Algeria were structured within regional organizations of French trade unions.cite book
year = 2005
title = Trade Unions of the World
editor = ICTUR et al,
edition = 6th
publisher = John Harper Publishing
location = London, UK
id = ISBN 0-9543811-5-7] After independence the General Union of Algerian Workers (UGTA) became the sole trade union center. The UGTA was linked with the Front de Libération nationale; however, in 1989, with constitutional changes and new laws the UGTA was distanced from the FLN and no longer retained the position of sole trade union center. Despite this, the UGTA continues to be, in practice, the only center - with few trade unions outside its affiliation.

During the Algerian Civil War the trade union movement was caught in the same violence that killed large numbers of civilians. Both ICTUR and Amnesty International [cite web
title= focus on ALGERIA
work=AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION ACTION 1998
url=http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGACT730051998?open&of=ENG-394
accessdate=2007-05-18] report many deaths of trade union activists, concluding that the reasons for their deaths are difficult to determine, given the chaotic times. Reasons range from deaths directly related to union activities, through to other political issues (such as fundamentalist views of women teachers), and endemic random violence.

References