Egyptian Workers: Despite everything, This is Your Day!

May 1^st 2017

For the second consecutive year, the independent trade unions’ movement failed from celebrating in a satisfactory manner the first of May because the objections of the intelligence services prevented us from organizing the event in a suitable setting or renting a hall spacious enough to host an important number of workers’ representatives, activists and members of trade unions.  As a consequence of this oppressive situation, we were cornered to organize the celebration at CTUWS premises on 88 Qasr El Aini Street.

In parallel, the Egyptian government organizes once again an official celebration on the thirtieth of April with the cooperation of the Egyptian General Federation of Workers Trade Unions which is the entity recognized at the formal level as the sole representative of Egyptian workers; this event was a replication of the older scenarios that used to prevail for decades; it looks as if there was no creativity or will for improvement, an amnesic state of mind ignoring that long years have passed and a notorious revolution took place.  Again and again, the Egyptian government persist to consider this quasi-governmental entity as the sole representative of workers while excluding hundreds of independent trade unions that reflect the aspirations of workers as well as their fully credible representatives. 

Despite everything, this Day remains the Day of all Egyptian workers and employees, the salaried and those seeking for an opportunity of work, workers holding jobs on an irregular basis and those aspiring for a decent and stable one as well as fair work conditions and salaries covering their needs and the simple human needs of their children.  Those are the people who chanted “Bread, Freedom, Social Justice and Human Dignity” and who still claim the right for adequate health care, decent housing, potable water and availability of good sewage systems.  They continue to express the need for social and professional security guaranteeing a dignified life after retirement on pension or for disability.

Despite the fact that..

there are fierce attacks against the movement of workers and the attempts to abolish any democratic rights they gained through tremendous efforts after 2011 Revolution; these attacks are translated into the repression of workers’ strikes and the deferral of workers’ leaders to inquiry or judgment; workers’ strikes are the object of a campaign of slander where they are qualified of being the reason behind chaos and social instability.  Once again, the right to establish independent trade unions is denied and tens of the movement’s leaders are led to courts of justice, many of them spending several months in jail; moreover, tens were fired from work at a rate never seen before because of their affiliation to independent trade unions.  The governmental entities intervene directly against independent trade unions, exerting pressure over their members to withdraw from these organizations and rejoin the Egyptian Federation of Workers Trade Unions.  Fatwas, administrative decisions and instructions are calling for the illegality of independent trade unions and the green light is granting free hands to business men for fighting these entities, specifically the most vital and vibrant ones.  Thus, while the trials against the workers in public transports and in IFFCO factory are still running, the governmental present few days before the 1^st of May was the arrest of some leading figures at the Egyptian Company of Communication and their submission to inquiry for two days before being temporarily released to be deferred to judgment later.

Despite the fact that..

workers and leaders of the movement are exposed every day to vexations, tens are losing their only source of living for the sole reason of practicing their democratic right while they are deprived from legal protection according to the clauses of the ill-reputed Law 35/1976 that should have been abolished immediately after the Revolution.  In this context, the opportunities of collective negotiations are vanishing and it has become clear to everybody that there is a determination to revitalize the obsolete law about workers’ trade unions under a new name; the draft law includes a huge amount of procedures and requisites practically restricting the right to create independent trade unions; in addition, it differentiates between those affiliated to the “governmental” Federation and the workers who have joined independent trade unions.  The new draft Law prevents the general assemblies of trade unions to develop their own By-Laws or the criteria for the selection of their executive bodies, this way violating the right of people to choose, join, withdraw or unite.

Despite the fact that..

before the Revolution and until now, Egyptian workers call for the abolition of legal restrictions on the right of freely organizing, i.e. liberating them from compulsory membership in specific trade unions; however, strikes are mushrooming everywhere showing that there is a dire need for the existence of trade unions expressing the real interests of workers and enabling them to engage in collective negotiations.

Despite the fact that..

in parallel with this series of violations, the trade union cycle of the General Federation Board is extended year after year leading this entity that lost its legacy after having this cycle lasting for eleven consecutive years; this situation persists in contradiction with a judgment of the High Constitutional Court in April 2012 considering nil the Federation elections in addition to over one hundred judgments issued by other courts in line with the same direction.

Despite the fact that..

Egyptian workers and people have rebelled twice for the right to attain the life they deserve, the right for freedom, dignity and justice, the right for a democratic society that is inclusive for all its members and grants each one his/her share of the country’s wealth and resources; a society where people can breathe, interact and express themselves freely, where the various categories and classes can defend their interests; a society that does not oppress people, repress their ambitions or their human aspiration in developing their capacities and improving their conditions of life.

Despite the fact that..

the real democracy Egyptian people called for cannot be summarized in representative institutions, elections or a Parliament regardless the shocking performance of the latter.  Democracy means for Egyptians independent trade unions and civil society organizations: organizations where workers, employees and other social categories can group together, express their interests in a direct way and exert pressure in order to obtain their demands.  This democracy refers to efficient and democratic mechanisms such as the practice of collective negotiations and the participation in decision-making, social monitoring of the resources that were squandered for years under a total absence of any kind of monitoring.

Despite the fact that..

the policies that were – and are still - adopted go in quite a different direction from the essence of democracy and the requirements of social justice which cannot be fulfilled without the empowerment of social actors through the expression of their interests, and the ownership of the necessary organizational tools for collective negotiation, and essentially the right to establish independent trade unions.

Despite the fact that..

current draft laws in connection with the status of workers are tailored by the minister of manpower who considers them as his best achievement; actually, these drafts are extremely inconsistent and the governmental assertions that they have been discussed at the social level are totally false.  It is important to stress that an equilibrium in work relations cannot take place without providing social protection to the weakest side (i.e. the workers) and without the acknowledgement of businessmen about their social responsibility as well as the respect of work standards, the right of collective negotiation and the commitment to conventions and agreements.  If we look at the decision to allocate one hundred million Egyptian pounds to the Emergency Fund, we can easily notice that it doesn’t serve the interests of workers unless the law regulating this Fund and its executive chart are amended in terms of the right of workers to obtain full indemnification in case of difficulties leading to the closure of their companies; regulations should also include the creation of a democratic mechanism enabling the monitoring of resources and avoiding the dilapidation of these resources in bonuses and similar allocations for the privileged.

Despite the fact that..

we note the deterioration of several industries – mainly the weaving and spinning, and the steel and iron industries – as a consequence of the neglect and robbery that prevailed for decades and resulted in the precarious conditions of workers and their uncertainty about the future.  Another issue that remains unaddressed - despite the promises here and there - is that of workers working on an irregular basis and those engaged in the informal sector.  Moreover, it is worth mentioning the millions remaining in the ranks of unemployment, waiting for an adequate opportunity of work in terms of professional security and reasonable wages besides the millions of workers who aspire for the improvement of their living conditions under an unprecedented wave of inflation and rise of prices.

Despite all of this, this Day is the Day of all Egyptian workers; it is an inspiring Day for all workers worldwide in their fight for justice and freedom; in this Day it is our duty to reiterate respect and commitment to the revolution of the Egyptian people and its aspirations for social justice, human dignity and for the freedom, a fight that left behind hundreds of martyrs.

Therefore, we call all those who abide to these principles to express their solidarity with us and with the demands of Egyptian workers, mainly:

• Organizing a wide and democratic social debate that includes representatives of all social categories and specifically the most credible representatives of workers to discuss the legislation and laws related to their conditions, namely:
  • The Law regulating the right of organizing in trade unions and the protection of this right;
  • The Labor Law;
  • The Social Security Law;
  • The Health Security Law.
• Securing on a general and compulsory basis a minimum salary for all workers that takes in consideration the rates of inflation and the rise of prices; in addition, there is urgent need to revise and increase the minimum allocations for retirement schemes;
• Ensuring the participation of governmental sector and administrative units’ workers and employees in the development of the organizational structures in their units including the promotion of policies of vocational training for human resources, redressing the systems of incentives and improving the regulations related to rewards and penalties;
• Amending the draft Law about Trade Unions by returning back to the version proposed by the Ministry of Labor Force and Migration in 2014;
• Stopping all administrative procedures and governmental practices seeking to put independent trade unions under siege;
• Abolishing all legal procedures refraining the right of workers to establish their independent trade unions;
• Securing the right of trade unions to merging and splitting as well as the right of workers in the public sector to organize in independent trade unions while enjoying all their other rights;
• Securing the right of fired workers - as punishment for their involvement in independent trade unions - to reintegrate their positions and recover all their rights;
• Promoting the mechanisms of collective negotiations at all levels and on democratic bases;
• Improving the participation of workers in the discussion of issues related to the reform and development of public sector companies;
• Ensuring the rights of irregular labor force and workers in the informal sector through equitable and disciplined mechanisms for their integration and the protection of their rights.

Egyptian Workers: Despite everything, This is Your Day! Happy Workers Day