During the last few days, the Ministry of Manpower & Immigration has extremely breached the rights of the Egyptian Democratic Labor Congress (EDLC). The ministry has not only neglected and disregarded labors demands, but also abused its broad authorities and supported the segregated EDCL President, Yousry Al Sayed Marrouf. 

The Ministry abuses have reached to the extreme when tired to legitimize a fake general assembly that was called for and held against the (EDLC) bylaws. The Minister has not only discarded the rules of a general assembly and supported the segregated President, but also exerted an extreme effort to attend the assembly meeting and spend his precious time trying to resolve the issues of Mr. Yousry Al Sayed Marrouf and his vanished humorous general assembly

The Minister of Manpower and Immigration summoned in an official day off - Saturday, February 22 - Professor/ Hanim that was delegated to attend for the meeting,  - which appeared as the most important incident comparing to the hot and frequents incidents taking place in the  labor scene. Professor / Hanim has been asked by the Minister to submit a report on the meeting, surpassing all business rules and terms of reference of the staff of the ministry -

The ministry has violated the rights of the (EDLC) and its members of trade unions and trade unionists by suspending the decision to withdraw confidence from Yousry Marrouf and isolate him from the EDLC presidency and its executive body.  The ministry has even frozen the bank account of the congress and insisted to imposing Marrouf and his fake assembly against the will of the congress members as illustrated below: 

 

On 16/1/2014, The (EDLC) has notified the Ministry of Manpower & Immigration with resolutions of the Extraordinary assembly held on Tuesday 7/1/2014 including withdrawal of confidence from Mr. Marrouf and isolating him from the EDLC presidency and its executive body. Resolutions have also included electing Mr. Saad Shabaan to act as the President of the Congress; Mr. Hani Mohamed Afifi to act as the General Secretary and a copy of the meeting agenda has been attached including the details of attendees discussions, rational for the resolutions, legal justifications and the processes of voting for the decisions. 

 

Nevertheless, the Ministry has continued its correspondences to Mr.  Yousry Marrouf addressing him as the President of the (EDLC). For instance, letter No 190, dated to 18/2/2014 and signed by the Minister has been sent from the Ministers office to Mr. Yousry  Marrouf as the President of the (EDLC). The purpose was to invite Mr. Marrouf to participate in the 41st round of the Arab labor Conference to be held in the period between 13 to 20 April/2014 and asking him to form the (EDLC) delegates to the conference. 

Till now, the Ministry of Manpower & Immigration has spared no effort to ignore the (EDLC) resolutions and suspend its free will, which is considered an abrupt violation from the part of the executive and administrative authority to the union movement rights and a blunt breach for the international labor laws as well as article No 76 of the new Egyptian constitution. 

Although the Ministry of Manpower & Immigration has been notified on 16/1/2014 that Mr.  Marrouf has been isolated from the (EDLC) presidency and its executive body, the Ministry has informed his employer, Alexandria Container & Cargo Company, without a hint to the (EDLC) that Mr. Marrouf would be totally assigned to handle the (EDLC) presidential tasks, the fact that arises several questions about who is supposed to assign who and what kinds of union deeds Mr. Marrouf are shouldering. This also raises concerns about the nature of the scholarship relation between Mr. Marrouf and the Ministry, a relations that gives Mr. Marrouf the privilege to enjoy a sabbatical for handling unknown tasks, knowing that several members of the (EDLC) can never enjoy such privilege and can never receive such letters officially singed by the Ministry of Manpower & Immigration

According to the (EDLC) bylaws, the congress has the sole rights to elect and isolate its president. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Manpower & Immigration has refused to admit the congress extraordinary general assembly resolutions and has violated the congress rights and breached the normal unions rights and freedoms. The Ministry has set itself an unfair just for none of its business, and even decided to delegate one of its employee to monitor a so called assembly meeting that has been scheduled as per the ministry itself on February 1st, then postponed haphazardly to the 21st of the same month.  

In such context, the ministry has committed the following blunt mistakes:

The decision to withdraw confidence from Mr. Yousry Marrouf and isolate him from the EDLC presidency and its executive body is a sound and an uncompromisable resolution that should not have been suspended by the ministry or any other authority till the an extraordinary assembly meeting to be held. 

 

According to the (EDLC) bylaws, an extraordinary assembly meeting should only be held upon the request of 1/3 of members or after two regional conferences, providing that the request is being submitted to the general council to make the decision with the executive body to follow the required procedures (Article No 10. of the EDLC Bylaws). The question is how the decision to hold the assembly was been taken without consulting the involved parties.  

 

According to the (EDLC) bylaws, Mr. Yousry Marrouf has no right to call for an assembly meeting weather as a current member of the general council of as the ex president. So, how can the ministry get involved in this assembly, should not the ministry have review the legitimacy of this decision instead of freezing the congress bank account and suspend its resolutions?

 

 

Meeting Brief: Friday 21/2/2014

What the Ministry of Manpower & Immigration has conducted in brief was the unlawful suspension of the general council resolutions till an illicit general assembly is held.  

The (EDLC) has communicated officially with the Ministry of Manpower & Immigration on Wednesday 19/ and 20/2/2014, in addition to other previous correspondence to refuse the meeting of Friday 21/2/2014 as a general assembly for the congress. Nevertheless, the Ministry has insisted on its action and officially imposed Mr. Marrouf against the will of the congress members. 

Anyway, the meeting has been attended by 34 members as published in Al Wafd newspaper. As witnessed by the attendees, and though we are not confident enough with the reported number, the attendees then represent 20 % (if correctly representing their unions) of the total number of members which is 172 unions.

According to article No 11 The general assembly meeting should be attended by more than 50% of the members who are legitimate to attend, if this does not take place, the meeting should be postponed for 2 hours and then resumed with the attendance of 1/3 of the members 

Surprisingly, the Ministry has advised Mr.  Marrouf to fulfill the quorum during the subsequent days. How??!! we dont have a clue. Mr. Marrouf has kept communicating with some other colleagues asking for their signatures and following the old tradition of We hold all the cards 

Anyways, and regardless to the Ministry and its experts, the congress is obliged only by its bylaws and the will of its  members, the general assembly will be held on time as per the democratic rules stipulated in the (EDLC) regulations . 

The (EDLC) is committed to the basic work standards, principles of the democratic union freedoms, and is totally abided by Egyptian labors rights and their independences from the government, businessmen mend and political parties. The (EDLC) will continue supporting Egyptian labors to build their independent organization and practice their full democratic rights that have been struggled for during the past three years.  

 

Egyptian Democratic Labor Congress

Tuesday, 25/2/2014

 

President.                   Secretary General  

Saad Shabaan.           Hani Mohamed Afifi