Rabat – Algerian civil servant unions have called for a 48-hour general strike, in a show of protest against the government’s financial policies.
The union said the reason for calling strikes is citizens’ deteriorating purchasing power, with the price of essential goods skyrocketing in the last few weeks.
Unionists have said 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.”
The general strike is scheduled to take place on April 26 and 27, with workers demanding urgent intervention from the government to restore Algerians’ purchasing power.
Consumer protection associations in Algeria called for a boycott of food products such as potatoes, which has proved difficult as the products are essential to the diets of families around the country.
Videos circulating this month on social media showed long lines at stores around the country, with people queueing for several city blocks to buy essential goods such as milk, bread, and potatoes.
Activists and critics directed the blame to the government and president Abdelmadjid Tebboune. In late 2021, most Algerians cited economic troubles as their main concern, in an Arab Barometer report.
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