radioalgerie.dz – Eight cooperation and partnership agreements were signed on Saturday at the “M’hamed Bougara” University of Boumerdes, between the General Union of Algerian Workers (UGTA), through its affiliated trade union federations, and their counterparts affiliated to the General Union of Workers of Sakia El Hamra and Oued Eddahab.
The agreements were signed at the closing ceremony of the five-day Algerian-Saharan trade union solidarity week, organised at the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences of the University of Boumerdes, under the leadership of UGTA representative Ferhat Chaikh and General Secretary of the General Union of Workers of Sakia El Hamra and Oued Eddahab, Salama El-Bachir.
These agreements open wide prospects for cooperation between the two unions and their affiliated sections (Federations) in the fields of training and exchange of knowledge, experience, information, visits and organisation of trade union action and its development in various fields.
On the first day of the event, a framework agreement of partnership and cooperation between the UGTA and the General Union of Workers of Sakia El Hamra and Oued Eddahab was signed in the presence of the leaders of the two unions.
Agreements were signed during the closing ceremony between the federations of education and vocational training workers of the two parties, and the Algerian health union with the Saharawi doctors’ union.
The 4th agreement was signed between the federations of mining workers and engineers, while the 5th was signed between the Algerian trade union of agri-food industries and the Saharawi farmers’ union. The 6th agreement was signed between the Algerian Federation of Information and Communication and the Union of Saharawi Journalists and Media Professionals.
The 7th and 8th agreements were signed, respectively, between the Federation of Tourism Workers of the UGTA and the Union of Saharawi Artisans, and the Committee of Women Workers of the UGTA and its counterpart in the Union of Saharawi Women Workers.
The UGTA and the UGTA Women Workers’ Committee have developed integrated strategies, particularly in the context of trade union struggle and action, to address the current challenges facing Western Sahara and the serious violations it is suffering, as well as the systematic plundering of the wealth of the Saharawi people.
Through this declaration, the participants also called on the parties concerned, civil society organisations and the National Observatory of Algerian Civil Society to work to strengthen and promote this joint cooperation between the two trade unions.
The Declaration underlines the need to strengthen the role of the two unions as permanent partners in general policy making to develop mechanisms, manage crises and address challenges together with the official authorities, as well as the need to develop their capacities in advocacy on just issues within civil society diplomacy.
It will also follow up on the needs and aspirations of Saharawi workers with a view to strengthening bilateral relations to cater for all categories of Saharawi society, continuing to support the Algerian General Workers Union (UGTA), consolidating and promoting its role in defending the just Saharawi cause, while working to smooth out and overcome obstacles to facilitate the work of the General Workers Union of Sakia El Hamra and Oued Eddahab in the framework of associations and trade unions.
“Algeria has never spared its support for the Saharawi people”.
For his part, the President of the Saharawi National Council, Hamma Salama, praised Algeria’s constant support over several decades for the Saharawi people, as for other oppressed peoples of the world.
“At no time, over many decades, has Algeria ever spared its support for the Saharawi people, as it has always done for the Palestinian people and all the oppressed peoples of the world,” Mr Salama declared.
In this context, he cited the graduation of thousands of Saharawi executives from Algerian universities, who are now active in various Saharawi organisations.
The same official added that the Saharawi people “are proud to benefit from the rich experience of Algeria, which has inspired many peoples of the world who aspire to freedom”, praising “the efforts made to ensure the success of this week of solidarity, and the results obtained, aimed at improving the training of Saharawi executives”.
