Air Algerie flight attendants strike over wages

Employees of Algeria’s national airline Air Algerie have begun an open strike demanding better wages and improved working conditions.

Algeria’s Ennahar TV channel reported that the advisor to general director of Air Algerie, Mohammad Shareef, has said that dialogue is open with the company administration although the demands exceed the company’s financial capacity.

Shareef asked the employees to wait for the company’s financial situation to improve, adding that a crisis cell will be formed to follow up on the situation after chaos engulfed Algiers International Airport and numerous flights were cancelled.

A statement released by Air Algerie said that the employees went on strike without notice on Monday at 4am. The statement said flights scheduled from Algiers were cancelled however the strike did not have a large response in Oran and Annaba, where some aircrafts were able to take off yesterday morning.

Air Algerie Director General Bakhouche Alleche recruited flight attendants from other companies to work on the flights.

Read: A warm embrace between Moroccan and Algerian FMs after decades of tension

Earlier this month, the head of the Aviation Staff Union announced that more than 1,500 Algerian flight attendants will go on strike at Algiers International Airport after the administration refused to answer their demands despite instructions from Transport Minister Abdelghani Za’alan.

The attendants have demanded pay rises, an improvement in working conditions, and implementing agreements previously signed with the union.