Sonatrach PDG Abdelhamid Zerguine
dismissed the general directors (DGs) from two of its affiliates in
late May, in a move which some regarded as a response to worker and broader
social unrest in the Arzew industrial complex.
The directors of Société de Transport d'Arzew
(Sotraz) and Société de Maintenance Industrielle d'Arzew
(Somiz) were removed and both entities have seen their senior
management reshuffled, reportedly for breaches of professional duties, poor
management of internal conflicts and recruitment strategy. While Sonatrach has
not officially pronounced on the reasons behind the sackings, local media cited
company sources who argued that the decisions were merely taken to enhance
managerial efficiency by nominating more competent individuals to top jobs. As
there has been no police inquiry thus far, observers also think that the move
could be a response to the inflamed political and social situation in Arzew,
where workers' relations with the company have been poor for some time. Somiz
and Sotraz are both headquartered in the country's largest industrial zone,
which is a vital hydrocarbons terminal as well as a site for flagship
petrochemical projects.
The fact that the corruption scandals of the past two years
have focused strongly on the central management of the Sonatrach holding company
has allowed its Arzew-based affiliates to stay out of the media spotlight. While
the scale of managerial abuse in these subsidiaries is likely to be minimal
compared to the alleged abuses committed by those senior officials disgraced in
2010, local reports of bribery, favouritism and illegal subcontracting have been
signalled for years, and have mostly escaped justice.
According to industry sources in Arzew, this month's episode is
due to the months-long discontent of local youth, to whom promises of priority
in jobs and training were not fulfilled. “Sonatrach in Algiers is buying itself
time again by scarifying the heads of the snake. The orders came from the
governor of Oran [the wilaya that includes Arzew] in fears that
protests could become politically costly,” revealed the source.
© 2012 Menas Associates
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