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The Minister of Social Solidarity neglects his duties
While the Ministry of Social Solidarity is trying to improve the quality of subsidized bread to suitable for human consumption, it is violating the rights of thousands of workers in bakeries and mills. As the Ministry has lately issued a decision forcing these workers to sign tripartite contracts by not providing with any subsidized flour unless they sign these contracts. The workers are refusing to sign these contracts fearing that they will eventually lead to the closure of their bakeries, so that the bakery business is left to the monopoly of the private sector that will control the quantity, price and quality of bread.
The Ministry of Social Solidarity stated that it is paying over exaggerated amounts of money to the companies of the public business sector to mill wheat, as it said that the private sector can do that with much cheaper expenses. Therefore, the Ministry has launched a huge campaign to close all mills of the public business sector, regardless of what could happen to its workers.
The mill workers in Desooq stated in their complaint to the LCHR that on 1/8/2006, the department of ration in Kafr El Sheikh has issued a decision to close down Desooq mill in order to liquidate it. This decision has led to wasting 4854 tons of wheat. The workers state that there were Ministerial decisions to improve this mill, and a primary budget of about 50 million pounds was assigned for that purpose, but that didn't happen. They say that this mill has been working since the year 1912 with a production power of 400 tons a day, and today it is producing 100 tons a day. More than 300 people work in this mill, hundreds of people will face unemployment if it was closed, as it serves the people who work in it and the farmers who provide it with wheat. In addition to that, closing this mill will make this governorate depend on other governorates in obtaining its needs of bread and flour, which will increase the burden of the state to produce and transport bread and flour.
If this mill was closed, then maybe its workers will be transferred to other mills outside their governorate, which will make them bear transportation expenses, slowly leading to the deterioration of their livelihood conditions.
The LCHR presents the complaints of Desooq workers to the Minister of Social Solidarity and the Minister of Manpower demanding them to stop the eviction of thousands of bakery and mill workers allover Egypt to guarantee them and their families a decent life. The LCHR also demands them to subsidize bread and improve mills and bakeries in order to produce bread suitable to human consumption and prevent hunger, sickness and unemployment.
For more information, please contact the Center.