30
Labourers’ conditions in Egypt 2003 “86 protests in different sectors, adequate work is a demand of all producers”
It is issue no. 30 of social and economic rights series that monitors labourers’ protests in different sectors (public - private - governmental) throughout 2003. The report is divided into six main parts as follows:
The first part: rights of the Egyptian labourers in the new unified labour law 12/2003
It mentions to the government’s success in issuing the unified labour law on 7/4/2003. This law is issued coding with the changes of the Egyptian economy towards free trade and economy liberalization according to the policies of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. The report reviews that labour force in Egypt is estimated with 17.726 million people (15.808 million people have work while 10.8 million are unemployed).
The report asserts that labourers’ layoff under the umbrella of early-pension reached 300.000 labourers in 1997 then it reached 450.000 labourers till the end of 2000. This policy is still continuous in the companies that offered for sale in 2000-2001 with no result (31 company in 2000 and 84 one in 2001), moreover, throughout the last four years, the government offered 58 company for sale but none intended to buy them.
The ministry of public works sector asserted in its report issued in 2003 that the privatization program would not be stopped under any conditions. LCHR’s report reviews that 193 company/factor are sold till the present, moreover, more than 41 company/factory (submitted under law 203/1991) in addition to companies (submitted under law 159/1981) will be offered for sale throughout the coming period.
The report mentions to the decrease of the income levels in Egypt as follows; 4.1% in 1999 - 3.9% in 2000 - 3.1% in 2001 - 2% in 2002. it is accompanied by the increase of the phenomenon of informal labour sector that contributes with 33-50% of the national production that comprises 6.9 million labourers in works sector - 5.1 million labourers in the private sector - 900.000 labourers in the projects owned by the government.
This part reviews the changes occurred in work relations with the virtue of the new labour law mentioning to the negative impacts on labourers’ rights in Egypt concerning vacations, work hours, etc.
The second part: legal state of Egyptian corporative movement
The syndicates’ number reaches 23 one working under the Egyptian Federation Trade Union. On the other hand, the percentage of labourers joined with syndicates is not more than 25% of the total labour force in Egypt (40% of them in governmental sector - 35% in the agrarian and services sector - 25% in heavy and light industrialization).
The report adds that about ten million labourers in the private sector have no corporative membership. In fact, the majority of labourers are deprived from their right to join with syndicates as a result for the pressure directed by business owners in addition to the absence of the corporative regulation inside thousands companies and factories of the private sector. Moreover, syndicates put aside the membership of under fifteen years old labourers estimated with 1-2 million. Then this part reviews the violations committed through the corporative elections round (2001-2006) in addition to the officials’ tarrying to implement the sentences of the Egyptian judgment concerning the illegality of the mentioned elections round.
The other parts of the report review the labourers’ protests throughout 2003:
The center monitors the labourers’ protests throughout this year that reaches 86 protests in different sectors (54 protests in the private sector - 26 protests in the governmental institutions - 15 protests in the public works sector). About these protests, it is classified as follows:
- Date of protesting: 13 in August, 11 in May, 9 in February and June, 2 in December
- Type of protesting: 33 gathering, 26 strike, 21 setting in strike, 6 demonstration
- Reasons of protesting: 30 forced firing, 16 non-payment of posus or remunerations, 10 closure or bankruptcy, 8 non-payment of salaries, 4 forced administrative decisions, 3 administrative corruption, 2 work injuries, 1 non-increase of (pension value - early pension - deterioration of work environment)
The last part: recommendations
q Promoting labourers’ right in strike and peaceful gathering in addition to deleting law 2/1977 that stipulates punishing labourers in strike with penal servitude for life. Amending article no. 198 of law 12 that hinder this rights.
q Amending law of labourers’ syndicates to enable farmers to form independent syndicates to defend their on legal rights peacefully.
q Obliging public and private companies to pay social insurance of labourers in addition to guaranteeing the implementation of this operation through the monitoring of the specialized institutions.
q Guaranteeing the payment of labourers’ salaries and remunerations under any conditions.
q Stopping policies of forced firing as a step for selling the factory to the private sector.
q Matching between salaries and prices in addition to deleting the items that connect between ponus and financial condition of the company. Increasing the regular increase of salaries from 7% to 15% in order to code with the prices height and decrease of the value of the Egyptian pound.
q Appointing the permanent labour in all sectors with giving adequate guarantees for stable and suitable work.
q Stopping the interference of security authorities hat terrify labourers during asking for their rights in fair salaries or setting in strike.
q Connecting with the officials (the ministers of justice and labour force and the head of Egyptian Federation Trade Union) in order to completing the procedures of forming the quintuple committees in courts to examine the complaints and cases of labourers. Deleting the article of law 12/2003 concerning the formation of these committees because of its unconstitutionality in order to guarantee citizens’ rights in litigation before fair and independent judgement.
The center asks all civil society associations to work for the implementation of he report’s recommendations in order to promote the rights of the producers in adequate work and humane life stipulated by the Egyptian constitution and international conventions of human rights.