This report is issued in a series of economic and social rights, edition No. (78), issued by Land Center, where it monitors what was published by Egyptian newspapers about workers' protests in Egypt after the deterioration of their living conditions and their rights to decent work in the three employment sectors (government - private - in the public enterprise sector) during the year 2009.
The volume of the protests, in 2009, has reached more than 700 protests in the 432 site, where the report monitors the protests of each site as one protest, even if it is repeated during the year.
For example, the protests of the administration staff in the education department in Egypt, during the year, in most governorates, were more than 50 protests, but the report of the land center had considered them as a single protest.
Moreover, protests of temporary teachers have increased to more than twenty-protest, the protests of employees in the postal department in different governorates have increased for more than 30 protest, in addition to protests by drivers, owners of trucks, workers of the Nile Cotton Ginning company, experts of the Ministry of Justice, spinning workers in Shebeen and Tanta for Flax and Oil Company and the staff of real estate taxes. Those sites, or groups, during the year 2009, have done protests that have exceeded for more than 100 protests, however protest called by the report; one for each category or workers site.
Therefore, the numbers mentioned in the report about the location and size of the protests reflect the places and sites of the protests more than representing its size in general, in addition to the size of the protests, which have reached more than 700 protest and the sites of its focus, which have reached (432) sites, does not reflect the true number, because the Center believes that the size and locations of protests have increased so much because of the adoption of the report by some Egyptian newspapers only, therefore there are many other newspapers, which have published their protests, that were not monitored by the report, and there is no doubt that the protests of hundreds of workers and employees of the three sectors in dozens of other sites may staged protests that were not reached to the newspapers or the media. Those protests have been broken down in their positions or quickly resolved without reaching the media; therefore the actual number of protests, or sites where protests broke out, are more than what was stated by the center.
The report shows that the size of the protests amounted to (432) protests in the three sectors (the public- private- public enterprise sector), where protests of workers in government bodies have reached (189) protest, while the private sector (176), followed by protests against the public enterprise sector (67) protests.
Protests by workers in the three sectors had had many forms; where the crowds acts had reached (180), setting aside had reached (126), strikes (84) and demonstration (42) case.
February has witnessed the highest rates of protest reaching (61) protests, varied between (31), (10) sit-ins, (12) strike and (8) demonstrations.
The lowest rates of protest were witnessed in the month of May, which have amounted to (16) protests varied between (4) and crowd marches, (2) sit-ins, (9) strikes, one protest and one demonstration.
Reasons for protests in the three sectors have varied, where the most notably protests, took place in 2009, were due to non-payment of dues, as there were (101) protest, followed by abuse and the intransigence of the governmental departments that led to (38) protest, arbitrary dismissal led to (34) protest, non-recruitment led to (25) protest, followed by arbitrary transition that led to (17 ) protests, followed by the closure and liquidation of the factories, shops, bakeries, and other projects that led to (15) protests, followed by poor wages (12) protest, their non-installation (10) protests, the imposition of fines or breaches of the drivers (8) protests, each of seizure or sale or reduce of the rentals of the State land or the demand of wages increases have led to (5) protests, and all of the lack of permanence contracts and wages inequality led to (4) protests, followed by the deduction of wages and to demand the adoption of a special cadre and the transfer of attitudes or factories and the deterioration of financial conditions in the company or employees led to (3) protests for each of them, and obliging teachers to educate illiterate people and the conversion of temporary contracts to permanent and the poor condition of the train and lack of promotions, stopping it or demanding the establishment of independent syndicate and the integration of the companies or enterprises and to stop tricycle vehicles (tuktuks) or confiscating those tricycles and forcing out workers to the early retirement and the lack of requirements of health or lack of preventive procedures in the workplace led to two protests for each, followed by one protest of all of increased legal fees and staff for quality and claim an incentive and the lack of trains tractors, the non-settlement of functional status, increase the value of the participation of the union and the assignment as cleaners and forced to sign temporary contracts rather than permanent and claim the return of the land of the Association and hindering the grant of the academic degree and the abolition of the decision of annexation to the Ministry of Justice and the weakness of the annual professional reviews and demanding the establishment of a fund for social welfare and non-renewal of contracts and the removal of subsidies for contributions or increase and the distribution of students to schools of excellence and the demand to transfer them to the city's schools and demand to attend the program of rehabilitation and expulsion from the departments housing and preventing from the sending of lawsuits files to management of experts and lay-offs and change the movement of cars run and the decision to collect the money and was blackmailing drivers by collecting fines and cancellation of carts and preventing them from passing on the streets and the expulsion of workers from the port and change the working contracts from absolute to a temporary and transfer of sellers from the market area to remote areas and ban the import of car with diminished customs, and security departments attacks, and giving them fake estimates for their activities and inequality in the disbursement of increment and the deterioration of industry and non-payment of debts to the insurance company and the persecution of the executive organs of the union, suspension from work and pressure on workers to resign and calling for the abolition of tariffs for transit of goods and conducting an investigation with some drivers and edit the records against them for lack of licenses and the withholding of contracts for the final ownership of housing units and demand balance, regardless holidays and reduce the number of sleeper and increasing the fees and claim to increase the minimum pension for non-regular employment and the transfer of riders and vendors outside the Pyramid Plateau and the elimination of trailers and changing contracts of employment and exclusion from the Social Insurance Act and the expiration of contracts and the sale of units of the new wholesale market and the collection of additional fees and increased fees and delays in the payment of wages and to demand the adoption of support for producers of dairy powders and compel companies to supply its production to supply the goods on and off trade union activity and to limit delivery of shares of gas cylinders on the major reservoirs and the removal of street vendors and kiosks police chase against carts, and the confiscation of cars and pick-up trucks and demanding a trade union law of marriage officials and demanding the restoration or renewal of dilapidated units in the Railway Authority and payment of salaries to the Automated System and the liberalization of trade and demand subsidized flour sack, Managing Director and reduce holidays and non-renewal of licenses for the buses and an increase in working hours and export of rice in addition to many other miscellaneous reasons.
The report shows, in its first section, the protests of workers in the state sector, which amounted to (189) protest, and these protests varied between (87) states of gathering and (51) sit-in case, (31) and on strike (20) demonstrated the case.
February has witnessed the highest rates of protest; it has witnessed (27) protests, where (15) cases were crowds and (5) cases of sit- in and (3) cases of strikes and (4) cases of demonstrations.
In May, there were the lowest rates of protest as they hit (6) protests was gathered in two cases and one case of sit-and (3) of the strike.
Reasons for protests of government sector workers over the past year have varied, where the most important protests over unpaid dues (47) protests, followed by lack of recruitment (21) protests, and the abuse and the intransigence of the departments (15) protest, followed by arbitrary transport (14) protest against arbitrary dismissal (13) protest, and non-installation (9) protests, followed by low pay (7) protests, and non-contracting contracts Featured (4) protests, and inequality in wages (4) protests, followed by the deduction of wages and to demand the adoption of a special cadre (3) protests each of them, in addition to dozens of other reasons that threaten the rights of employees in employment opportunities for decent and dignified life.
In addition, public officials had performed (47) protests because of non-payment of financial dues and they range from (18) event gathered and (12) sit-state (11) the case of a strike, (6) cases demonstrations.
They also performed (21) protests because of unemployment, varied between (10) cases of gathering and (8) cases of sit-in on strike and the two protests.
They also performed (15) protests because of the arbitrariness and the intransigence of departments varied between (9) cases of gathering and (3) cases and the two sit-strike and one case demonstrated.
They also performed (14) protests because of arbitrary transition between the arbitrary (3) cases of gathering and (5) cases for each of the strike and picketing, and one case demonstrated.
They also performed (13) protests against unfair dismissal varied between (7) cases of gathering and (3) cases and the two sit-strike and one case of demonstration.
They also performed (9) protests because of the installation varied between (5) cases of gathering and one case each of the strike and picketing, and two cases demonstrate.
They also performed (7) protests over low wages, including (3) cases of gathering and the two sit-in and one case each of the strike and demonstrate.
While they performed another (4) because of all the protests of non-contracting contracts distinctive and inequality in wages varied between two cases for each of the crowd and sit-in, strikes and demonstrations.
While they performed (3) protests because of deduction from wages and demand the adoption of a special cadre varied between (4) cases of gathering and two strike.
While they performed two protests because of obliging teachers to educate illiterate citizens, because of reducing wages and because of conversion of temporary contracts to permanent and the poor condition of the train varied between (3) and two cases of mob performed sit-in strike, and one case demonstrated.
In addition to dozens of other protests on improving the conditions and the circumstances of workers in this sector varied between (23) crowed gathered and (13) sit-ins and two case of a strike and (3) cases of demonstration.
The report presents the second protest of workers in the private sector, which witnessed the (176) protest Labor varied between a strike and sit-in and gathered and demonstrated. These protests have varied between (65) Mob performed and the case (54) the case of a sit-and (41) are on strike and (16) demonstrated the case.
January and February has witnessed the highest rates of protest to hit (27) against each of them represented in (29) Status of crowds and (7) cases of sit-ins and (13) are on strike, and (5) The cases demonstrate.
While in the month of November, protests were in the lowest rates as it hit (4) protests in two cases for each of the crowd and sit-ins.
There were varied reasons for protests of the private sector, where the most notable reasons of these protests were because of the non-payment of financial dues leading to (38) protests, and the abuse and the intransigence of departments, companies and other (19) protests, and arbitrary separation (18) protests, followed by the closure and liquidation of the factories, shops, bakeries, newspapers and other (13) protest, and the registration and the imposition of fines and violations for drivers (8) protests, and low salaries (4) protests, and the transfer of attitudes or factories (3) protests, followed by two protests because of the seizure of land owned by the company or sell it and claim equal pay claim and the establishment of a uniform or private and stop vehicles tuktuks or confiscated, in addition to dozens of other protests, which resisted by the private-sector workers attack on their rights in job performed opportunities for honest and decent.
Private-sector workers have performed (38) protests over unpaid receivables varied between (8) cases of gathering and (17) the case of a sit-and (12) are on strike and one case demonstrated.
They have performed (19) to protest because of the arbitrariness and the intransigence of departments and companies varied between (7) cases of gathering and (6) cases for each of the sit-in and strike.
They also performed (18) protests over unfair dismissal varied between (12) state gathered and (3) cases and the two sit-strike and one case demonstrated.
They have performed(13) protests due to the closure and liquidation of the factories and shops, bakeries, newspapers and other varied between (3) cases of gathering and (6) cases of sit-and (4) cases demonstrate.
They also performed (8) protests over the imposition of fines and registration irregularities drivers varied between the two cases of sit-and (6) of the strike.
They also performed (4) protests over low wages varied between one case gathered and (3) of the strike.
They also performed (3) because of all the protests from the transfer of attitudes or factories and demanding equal wages varied between the two cases of mob performed and (3) sit-in cases and one case of a strike.
They also performed two protestations, asking for the establishment of a syndicate and to stop the attempts of stopping vehicles tuktuks or confiscation, seizure or sale of lands of the companies varied between the case of each of the procession and demonstration and (4) sit-in cases.
In addition to dozens of other protests, which faced the abuse of various departments and violation of the rights of workers varied between (31) state gathered and (14) sit-state and (11) are on strike and (9) cases demonstrate.
The report shows the third protest in the apportionment of public enterprise sector workers, who witnessed (67) labor protests in the public enterprise sector between gathering and a sit-in strike and protest and formed protests (28) state gathered and (21) the case of a sit-and (12) are on strike and (6) cases demonstrated.
October witnessed the highest rates of protest, bringing (13) against each of them as represented in (5) cases for each of the crowd and strike and (3) sit-in cases.
The lowest rates of protests in the months of May and November also witnessed one protest for both of them represented in the case of each of the crowd and sit-ins, strikes and demonstrations.
The strongest protests this year due to non-payment of financial dues as established (16) protests, followed by each of the abuse by management and demand wage increases (4) protests, and all of the non-recruitment and dismissal arbitrary and arbitrary transfers and the sale of the company's land (3) protests, followed by each two protests cuts in wages and forced to go to early retirement and the deterioration of the financial situation of the company or its staff, add to that tens of protests where workers resisted the abuse departments and encroaching on their rights to fair pay and safety.
Public enterprise sector has performed (16) protests over non-payment of financial dues varied between (4) cases of gathering and (5) cases for each of the strike and picketing, and two cases demonstrate.
They also performed (4) protests because of all the departments of abuse demand wage increases varied between (5) cases of gathering and one case each of the strike and picketing, and demonstrations.
They performed (3) protests each of the non-recruitment and arbitrary dismissals and arbitrary transfers and the sale of land the company varied between (5) cases gathered and (4) cases and the two sit-in strike and one case demonstrated.
Workers in public sector have performed two protestations because of all the cuts in wages and they were forced to go to early retirement and the deterioration of the financial situation of the firm or the workers varied between (4) cases of gathering and one case each of the picketing, and demonstrations.
In addition to dozens of protests by workers in this sector to ensure and guarantee their rights to decent work and fair remuneration varied between (10) cases for each of the rallies and sit-ins and (4) strikes and one case demonstrated.
The report reviews a number of recommendations and concluding observations are:
- Change the Egyptian government and the national government coalition aligned workers and those with limited income and for the application of alternative strategies and policies addressing the negative effects of economic crisis, especially for employees to improve their wages and to stop the displacement and violation of their rights and implementation of social programs more fairly address the negative effects of the crisis on the rights of wage earners and to ensure access to appropriate support parallel with government's current business and company owners.
- Modify the Trade Unions Act No. 35 of 76 so as to allow multi-trade union right to join trade unions and the withdrawal and preventing the tutelage of government agencies on trade unions and allow the General Assembly of the Association the authority to take all decisions as the highest authority in the trade union organization - Egypt's laws to allow the right to strike, demonstration, picketing, and peaceful protest to strike a balance between labor rights and freedoms granted to the men and the employers and the departments and governmental and non-governmental organizations which lead to stop the tyranny of the departments and the various authorities to strike and to ensure improved process of political transition, economic, social and democratic for all categories of the Egyptian society.
- Improving the climate and the conditions of democratic and civil rights laws by amending the parties, associations and political rights laws to allow citizens to exercise their rights to participation, association, assembly, without the tutelage of government and to ensure representation of all classes of people and classes in the formation and management of policies, programs and control the application of those policies and to stop the rampant corruption in state institutions and to stop waste in the management of our resources and stresses that this will not only prohibit the consumption of power by applying the principle of free election of all state institutions and the abolition of emergency law and the release of all detainees and to ensure that all civil and political rights of citizens in Egypt.
- The application of the insurance and health care and ensure a decent life for the elderly and guarantee them a monthly income of at least one thousand two hundred pounds should also amend the Employment Act No. 12 of 2003 to facilitate the procedures for obtaining unemployment allowance, which should not be less than 600 pounds a month is to offer a minimum decent living for citizens in Egypt.
- Exchange of financial receivables in arrears for workers and stop the abuse and stop the neglect of the departments and officials to ignore the demands of the demonstrators and to prevent unfair dismissal policies and work to install temporary employment and improve wages and the application of international labor standards and ensure a minimum standard of living should not be less than 1200 pounds a month and meet the demands of the strikers in the different employment sectors.
- Modify the privatization program to assess the outcome of the amendment would allow the privatization programs and the ways in which this was to divert the proceeds and hold those involved in corruption accompanied by any previous operations in addition to the need to ensure that the Department of participatory democracy in the future, bear the historical responsibility of the State management of this sector to address corruption and disorder in the this sector and to improve the conditions and productivity, and allow the new administration's control of civil society institutions for their implementation, and ensure disbursement of profit returns on improving public services and the conditions of economic and social infrastructure, health care and education for low-income workers Odhu and the advancement of our society and address the negative effects of the policies of economic liberalization.
LAND CENTER asserts that the strikes of workers and other social groups in 2009 was a lighted path for the future of our country, and led to extract rights and demands of protesters and contributed to change our society for the better and enabled thousands to live freely and in safety and dignity and without discrimination.
LAND CENTER believes that the support of the protests and solidarity with the protesters to ensure the citizens in our country's human rights villain and a more just and humane.
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