(FIJALGER/IFEX) – On Sunday 23 July 2000, Nawal Ayadh, a journalist with Algerian national television’s station in Ouargla (800 km south-east of Algiers), started a hunger strike at the Tahar Djaout Press Centre, following what she labelled her arbitrary dismissal from ENTV, the only national television station in Algeria. On 20 August 1998, Ayadh went […]
(FIJALGER/IFEX) – On Sunday 23 July 2000, Nawal Ayadh, a journalist with Algerian national television’s station in Ouargla (800 km south-east of Algiers), started a hunger strike at the Tahar Djaout Press Centre, following what she labelled her arbitrary dismissal from ENTV, the only national television station in Algeria.
On 20 August 1998, Ayadh went to Ghardaia (600 km south of Algiers) to cover a meeting chaired by the region’s Wali (chief of police), on behalf of ENTV. According to Ayadh, in the course of the meeting, the Wali started to harshly criticise the Ouargla regional television station’s managers and journalists, which prompted the journalist to ask to leave the room. The Wali refused to let her go, and a dispute ensued during the course of which he allegedly shoved the journalist.
After the incident, Ayadh was taken to the police station, where, according to her testimony, she was detained for several hours. When she returned to work, she was immediately put on leave, after which she was told that she was no longer employed with the station. Ayadh’s work contract stipulated that she was hired for a temporary period. The courts rejected her complaint on the grounds that she had no proof that she had originally been recruited by ENTV. The Ouargla regional station refused to give Ayadh a copy of her contract, yet the journalist has documents in her possession attesting to the fact that she had been sent on assignment and given holidays, which constitute proof that she was hired as a journalist. The courts refused to take this under consideration.
Algerian labour law authorises the temporary hiring of individuals, but only under limited parameters. A temporary work contract is not renewable. If it is renewed, it automatically becomes a permanent work contract, and, when this is the case, the dismissal of an employee must be well-founded and follow a series of legal procedures.