Air Algeria aircrafts grounded by strike

ALGIERS - Air Algeria planes were grounded Wednesday at the international airport of Algiers Houari Boumediene after a strike call made by the aircrew national union.

No plane has departed from the international airport in Algiers.

Disgruntled passengers have complained on national radio for not having been notified of the cancellation of their flights.

The strike was considered illegal by the Algerian authorities, according to a statement released by Air Algeria on Tuesday. The national carrier had filed a complaint against the authors of the notice.

In a memo to the 800 Aircrew commercial stewards and stewardesses, the CEO of Air Algeria Abdelwahid Bouabdallah described Tuesday the strike call as "attempted manipulation.

According to the CEO, the authors of the strike notice have been received at their request on 13 June to present their claims "proved not only through a conflict of representation in the union."

No member of this union could be reached by telephone in the morning.

Air Algeria passes through an area of ​​turmoil for several months. It must answer claims for wages and working conditions of employees. The company may also be found on the black list of international airlines for non-compliance of the maintenance of its fleet.

Algeria is rocked by a series of daily strikes and demonstrations, both social and political since early January against the high cost of living, which caused 5 deaths and over 800 wounded.