In a huge conference held at the Press Syndicate and attended by hundreds of participants representing independent trade unions as well as several sectors of workers from the private and public sectors, the Center of Trade Unions and Workers Services (CTUWS) has launched the fifty-day campaign for the freedom of trade unions and the implementation of social justice.

Representatives of the Democratic Federation of Egyptian Workers, the Egyptian Federation of Independent Trade Unions, the Thematic Federation of Post Office Workers, the Regional Federation of Sadat City Trade Unions, the General Federation of Workers in Public Transportation, the General Federation of the Investment Zone in Port-Said, the Regional Federation of Suez Governorate, the Thematic Federation of Street Vendors (under establishment), the Federation of Craftsmen, representatives of the public sector (factories of cook, steel and iron, El Mehalla spinning and weaving, Samanoud for downs, and Tanta for linen) were present at the event in addition to tens of individuals from various governorates members of trade unions that are not affiliated to general, thematic or regional federations.

Dr. Ahmed Hassan El Borai, former minister of labor, who launched on March 12 2011 the Declaration of Trade Unions’ Freedoms that initiated the emergence of an important number of independent trade unions attended the conference as well.

The Conference adopted the following statement:

“On the twelve of March 2011 when the revolutionary climate was still vivid, rising high hopes and expectations before vanishing day after day, Dr. Ahmed Hassan El Borai announced in a press conference the Declaration of Trade Unions’ Freedoms.  Beside Dr. El Borai on the podium, was sitting the general director of the International Labor Office, John Somavia who had just taken over his post.

This Declaration was a first step towards redressing the situation of trade unionism that had reached a state of unbearable distortion and contradiction with all international standards.  This step was a rapid and straight response to the claims of the 25th of January revolution that were chanted in all the squares of Egypt - i.e. freedom and social justice - and were predominant on February 9 and 10 2011 while the “official” Federation of Trade Unions was still declaring its obedience to Mubarak regime.  The Declaration reflected also good will intentions, an acknowledgment of commitment to the international conventions on labor ratified by Egypt over half a century ago, and a fulfillment of the basic standards of labor which absence provoked one of the main crises encountered by the regime before the Revolution.  Despite all the attempts of Mubarak regime in turning around false promises, and with the state of tension prevailing among workers, the only partial and temporary solution was this Declaration.  However, its effects were not achieved with the remaining shaming Law 35/1976 and its amendments while the lack of a new law regulating trade unions’ freedoms was bitterly missed.

Despite all declared statements that the oppressed should recover their long violated rights and commitments of the public figures heading the political scene that these rights would be taken into account, the actual policies that were adopted and are still valid testify of a totally adverse situation that is quite far from the requisites of social justice.  Actually, it is impossible to implement social justice without the empowerment of the various social actors with the right to express their interests and negotiate their demands.  This refers directly to the right of having the necessary organizational tools enabling social negotiation, on top of it is the existence of truly independent trade unions.

Aware of the difficulties related to the transitory period including the bloody danger of terrorism and the sensitivity of the deteriorated economic conditions, Egyptian workers remained patient in expectation of reaching a phase where the bottle neck would be overcome and stability returned back to the country.  However, this requires the availability of a clear strategic vision, and a sincere political will to promote a democratic society where all citizens and rights are respected.     Thus, we were aware of all the desolation that was overwhelming our society before January 25th but we were also aware that this disastrous situation could not be overcome without the real participation of all concerned parties at the social level, beginning with the initiation of a serious dialogue and debate, up to reaching the elaboration of precise agreements and a clear road map.

The democracy Egyptian people reclaimed cannot be reduced to elected bodies, it must absolutely extend to independent trade unions, civil society organizations, i.e. organizations enabling citizens to express their rights in a direct way; in other words, what we need are efficient mechanisms where citizens are organized and capable of practicing social monitoring of the country resources and advocating for the achievement of their demands.  

However, the Egyptian government does not show any sign revealing that it deals with workers as full citizens or partners in decision-making, holding the right to be aware of the actual complicated situation as well as discussing every matter concerning their country instead of being requested to keep patient and wait.

Workers are currently exposed to fierce attacks aiming at restricting the democratic rights that they barely practiced after the 2011 Revolution: leaders are being submitted to legal suits and the possibility of establishing independent trade unions became surrounded by important obstacles in addition to clear attempts of withdrawing previous commitments regarding the enactment of the law on syndicalist freedoms.

Tens of trade union leaders have been fired from work during the last period and there is an obvious plan to put the independent syndicalist movement under siege in order to get rid of this movement gradually and return back to the prevailing situation before 2011.

For all the reasons mentioned above, independent trade unions, leaders of the workers movement together with CTUWS are launching the fifty-day campaign in support of the Egyptian people’s Revolution and its aspiration for social justice and human dignity for the benefit of the workers who initiated four years prior to the Revolution the countdown of Mubarak regime.  The campaign is also claiming for the freedom that cost so many sacrifices and victims, the freedom that allows Egyptians to express their needs and demand for their rights through monitoring the resources of their country and ensure its fair distribution.

The precise requests of the fifty-day campaign include:

The abolition of all legal restriction on the right of workers to establish their independent trade unions;

The issuance of the law on trade unions according to the last draft developed by the Ministry of Labor and Migration;

The right of trade unions to unify or dissociate and work independently while keeping all their rights;

The right of all workers to have access to the financial resources as well as the assets and institutions affiliated to the “official” General Federation of Trade Unions;

The right of workers fired - as a punishment for their syndicalist activities or representation of colleagues - to return back to their posts and reintegrate their full rights;

The activation of the collective negotiation mechanism at all levels on a democratic basis;

The right of workers to participate in discussing the laws regulating their status, specifically:

The Labor Law;

The Social Security Law;

The Law of Civil Service.

The participation of workers in the discussion of the reform and improvement of the public sector companies as well as the regulation of stopped companies’ status or those banned by judiciary judgement;

The availability of all rights for workers in the informal sector or non-regular workers through fair mechanisms enabling their inclusion and the protection of these legitimate rights.