On September 3, workers at El-Hajar-based ArcelorMittal Annaba, the Algerian subsidiary of the world's largest steelmaker ArcelorMittal, decided to go on strike as of September 11, 2013 for an unlimited period, after negotiations on their salary increase rate ended without result, as reported by local media sources.
Back in the middle of June this year, the workers' trade union had presented its demand for a gross salary increase of 30 percent. However, management of ArcelorMittal Annaba proposed a 16 percent wage increase, with 10 percent becoming effective by August 2013 and the remaining six percent to be applied in two stages: three percent by August 2014 and three percent by August 2015. This proposal was rejected by the union.
The trade union at ArcelorMittal Annaba represents 5,200 workers at the steel plant.
ArcelorMittal Annaba, located 12 km south of the city of Annaba, is currently the largest integrated steel plant in the Maghreb region. It has a steelmaking capacity of 2.0 million metric tons a year. The plant has its own captive iron ore mines located in Ouenza and Boukhadra under the name Mittal Tebessa.
ArcelorMittal Annaba's finished product range includes hot rolled and cold rolled coils and sheets, hot dip galvanized products, tinplate, wire rod, rebar and seamless tubes. With a strong hold on its domestic market, the company also exports output to other Maghreb countries, Europe, the Middle East, China and Southeast Asia.