2011-06-17
Tahar Belabes: Algerian youths need motivation
Interview by Fidet Mansour for Magharebia in Algiers – 17/06/11
A young jobless man's suicide in Ouargla last week sparked a wave of protests and brought to the fore the persistent problem of unemployment in the southern Algerian town. Despite the abundance of natural resources, the city is unable to put educated youths to work. To address the paradox, Magharebia sat down with Tahar Belabes, a spokesman of the National Committee for the Rights of the Unemployed (CNDDC).
Magharebia: Can you tell us about your organisation and the reasons why it was created?
Tahar Belabes: The CNDDC fights for unemployed people's moral and material rights. The committee, set up on February 4th, 2011, is an autonomous and democratic forum, open to all people, male and female, who support our plans and demands.
Our main demands include decent work, unemployment benefits worth 50% of the national minimum wage, total transparency in the advertising of jobs, plus an end to military service for 25-year-olds and the reduction of military service to a period of 6 months.
Magharebia: Over recent days, life in Ouargla has been dominated by youth protests pressing for work and a decent living. What is the situation in the region like now?
Belabes: It is very tense; the authorities have deployed a lot of security forces out on the streets. The city is on lockdown, in response to the anger of young people who took to the streets and organised rallies and sit-ins. The authorities have done nothing to calm these angry people. The doors to dialogue were shut, just as the news of the first suicide attempts started leaking through on the streets of Ouargla.
On Thursday (June 9th), a young man aged 30 hanged himself inside his own home. On March 16th, a young man aged 20 took his life in the same way in Hassi Messaoud. Meanwhile, activists from the CNDDC are being harassed and prosecuted. We deplore this attitude, which only exacerbates the situation.
Magharebia: Despite a vast number of energy companies, the city suffers from a high unemployment rate. How do you explain this?
Belabes: This is exactly what we oppose. We find it difficult to understand the reasons behind this exclusion. These companies, whether Algerian or foreign-owned, recruit from a very closed circle. In particular, it's closed to young people from the region, under the false pretext of skills. I assure you that more than 50% of the protesters have degrees, but they have been struggling to find work in the oil companies, who prefer to recruit graduates from other wilayas in the north. We're not regionalist, not at all. We are simply demanding our right to work.
Magharebia: Perhaps these companies need technicians in highly specialised areas such as petrochemicals, whereas your wilaya doesn't have an institute or training centre that focuses on this sector.
Belabes: For the past seven years, we have constantly been calling for the creation of a petrochemicals institute in Ouargla, but unfortunately the authorities have turned a deaf ear to our continued requests. Every year, nearly 45,000 paid jobs are created in the wilaya, mainly in the oil companies. It might seem like a huge number, but in reality it doesn't benefit young people in Ouargla. Moreover, some of these jobs don't require a university education. Why not give young people a chance?
Magharebia: Have you been in contact with local authorities?
Belabes: We have presented a raft of demands to the officials. But once the riot police were deployed, all contact was broken. We fear the worst, and we're turning to the highest powers in the country to react and listen to youths who aspire to a decent life and a bright future. Unemployment is leading our young people into exile through illegal emigration. Algeria needs to hold on to its skills base by guaranteeing people the minimum, namely a job and a decent income.
Magharebia: Does the committee have any control over the protestors?
Belabes: For now yes, but the truth is that everything will depend on what the authorities do.
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![[Fidet Mansour] Algeria must preserve its talents by generating jobs for young people, says activist Tahar Belabes.](/awi/images/2011/06/17/110617Feature2Photo1-271_179.jpg)
POST YOUR COMMENT 15
HB 2011-8-1
They are buying military hardware not to defend Algeria. It is to crush any rebellion. Case in point the Syrian rulers are using tanks again their people. All dictators will have their day soon. They have been a miserable failure at managing the country. Hence should all be fired and prosecuted for all the crimes they have perpetrated over the years. At the moment they are thinking that a happy stomach is all it takes to silence the Algerian people. They couldn’t be blinder.
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mouhsin 2011-7-27
What should we expect from a mafia that has taken an entire country hostage?
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Yidir 2011-7-26
Change is difficult. It's like giving birth.The Mother has to suffer for 9 months and then go through an ordeal of pain and blood to put the child on the world.That what we r going through right now and i think that our motherland is in her first months.There going to be a lots of blood and tears... we just have to look to the price the Europeans,The chinese and The Russians have paid for their freedom and progress....Millions of people and decades of war....Because that's what we have to do.We have to break the chains of kings and imaams and kiss those of doctors and artists.Walk the paths of science and finish with the dark past of voodoo and barbarisme.Otherwise we will never be able to make place for a new future.....This is going to be a battle of Lords of the rings-scale: Hobbits,Humans and Elfs against the armies of Condor:ghosts,demons and oarks.
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Anonymous 2011-7-17
I don’t think that presidents who were unable to conduct reform for decades are capable of reform now.
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rachid1958 2011-7-15
Look at the inertia of a country that is folding in upon itself in fear of innovation by young people who are in a rush for new reforms. It makes no sense that we cannot see any change in our region. Long live Algeria and long live the young people!
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أوباها حسين 2011-7-14
To DZIRIHOR: you have judged me although you don’t know me well. But it seems you don’t know the meaning of free expressions. Pens are authorised to wander at the world level but you - I don’t know whether I should address you as a male or female because your name in French hides your personality – you know that pens are limitless. They can’t write about Morocco whatever they want. I can write about Algeria whatever I want. There are no impediments to defend Algeria, its revolution and dictatorship, since there are strikes and there are no impediments to write about the monarchial Morocco. You should know that we record history dates following rulers in this world to which we came without our consent. Humans were surprised to be in the era of Pharaohs, Vandals, Genghis Khan, Ghandi or messengers. You live in your era and I live in the same era whether I like it or not because people live and wait for the hero or heroes to lead change. It won’t be you or me. This is your Algeria and this is our Morocco. We are stunts in the devolution of power. The people of the world are intensified by power and history controls them from whence they don’t know. But let me tell you one thing: the Arab Maghreb was made up of Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and Tunisia only. There were no problems between them. Bouteflika knows the reality. But when Kadhafi joined it and I don’t know who introduced him between brothers although he was hated by Ouassila, Bourguiba and monarchies in the world. He sow strife, created Polisario and played between black leaders. Anyway, you’re free in your comment about me. But I accuse Kadhafi of sowing strife between Maghreb people and Arabs. I thank history which gave birth to you to talk to me instead of living in the era of Romans then you would have spoken to a Roman in politics. We will live and see?? dzirihoooooooooor
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AMAZIGH 2011-7-2
To Mounir- Get into contact with the labour inspectorate or the union for the sector you work in or find some specific documentation of the labour laws (from legal reviews, compilations of social laws, etc.). If this is urgent, contact the president of the lawyers bar for your city’s court of justice and ask for legal assistance if it is available.
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منير 2011-6-28
What is the fate of young people who work on contracts for determined periods in public institutions after the expiration of the contract? How can they work after that and from where will they subsist? Is there a solution for these marginalised people? Will they be integrated in their positions or will they keep on enslaving them like slaves of managers of companies? What is the law which protects them from the abuse of managers of public institutions? Please reply!
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DZIRIHOR 2011-6-28
To Oubaha Houcine- I voted for you for the office of Secretary General of the UN. The “elections” were held recently without a challenger, among friends, with a show of hands and in secret. Evidently, the media – under orders as usual – did not make a buzz about this. After all, this is a non-event. Ban Ki-moon is too perfect, so much so that he is to be kept. He has rendered such a service! Personally, I have a different opinion, and this is my right. I thought that you were way more competent and faithful to your values and your principles. But, evidently, you would have needed precisely the amount of time of a UN term for the greatest good of our oppressed peoples, whom you would have all freed. You would have had to leave the Algerians alone because your propagandist mission for the monarchy would need to be set aside for just one or two terms! And the advantages of the UN office would serve you and your friends and you could have resolved to your liking (as usual with the UN) the problem that has served to exacerbate tensions with your scapegoat Algeria. It is certain that after thoroughly resolving this problem, you would still have to find another diversion for popular anger, but I am confident that your powerful and fertile brain could find something else at the expense of the Algerians since the problem lies elsewhere! The problem is that you need a better enemy in order to seal the sacred covenant around His Majesty so that the throne does not crack!!! Mr Oubaha Houcine, I have no prejudice about the effectiveness of your servers for you lord because this is not my business, but know that your expertise is not worth a brass farthing for any self-respecting Algerian. For your own dignity, keep a respectable distance from Algerian-only affairs.
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DZIRIHOR 2011-6-28
To Arioule libre- Unless you are an international expert in revolutions in all territories, forget about it! Revolution is a full-time job and a lifelong commitment, and yours is not enough for you. Look at the inkling of a start, of a concern and of a beginning of change there! So, you will do the Algerian revolution!? …with your schizophrenia!? No one has asked you so much. Be a revolutionary over there and you will fulfil the contract with the eternal! The Algerians are people capable of taking on their own responsibilities. The rest only concerns them!
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Arioule libre 2011-6-26
Is it possible that the Algerian people are condemned to suffer from poverty, unemployment, abuse from the military and, in short, a pure dictatorship? And yet, Algeria is a territory rich in gas and oil. Why must the Algerians suffer???
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أوباها 2011-6-24
I say that we are Arabs because the Arab Qur’an is read by Amazighs. It is an inevitable rule that the Arabic language is the language of the country by constitution. I am Amazigh although I slightly know Tamazight.
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غير مجهول 2011-6-21
We Arabs, as it was said by Oubaha Lahoucine, as we say we Amazighs because you Mr Oubaha Lahoucine deny your Amazigh origins. We don’t want you to be alienated from your Amazigh origins. Why are you denying your origins? What did you like about funny Arabs whom you have chosen to substitute your Amazigh origins?
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djamel 2011-6-20
By God, Algerian young people have a strong personality. They love work, love the country and love the president. They are ready to sacrifice their lives for all this.
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أوباها حسين 2011-6-18
The Algerian government is scorning young people and Belabes is motivating them as if they were about to learn swimming or diving. We Arabs have many tongues debating, analyzing, condemning, discussing and the result is flagrant and suffocating. O Belabes, young people on the territory of Algeria have continuously protested and rallied for what they need. Algeria has governments rotating, appointed and swearing to save Algeria and its people. It has the power to make decisions and controls the public finance. Therefore it must motivate itself to analyze the situation and grant young people their share instead of looting it and distributing their resources between the military, supporters, mercenaries and hiring Africans… Belabes, urge the government and push it to plan for young people who are tired of protesting and burnt of protests which would be enough for you to mourn and plan.
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