The Preliminary List of Cases for Possible Discussion in the International Labour Conference has been Issued

And the Egyptian Government is Included Therein

On Friday, 10 May 2019, the ILO issued a document to all member states regarding the preliminary list of cases for possible discussion by the Conference Committee on the Application of Standards (CAS) in the coming International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva 2019, which is known as the long list. This list includes forty cases (countries) from which 24 are to be selected for discussion in the coming Conference.

The list included the case of Egypt regarding the application of Convention no. 87 concerning Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize.

The Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR) in its meeting held on the 23^rd of March decided to give governments included in the preliminary list an opportunity to provide the Committee with more information. These information has to be exclusively related to developments that were not formerly submitted or examined, and should be submitted at least two weeks before the ILC convenes (i.e., not later than the 27^th of May).

It is worth mentioning that independent trade unions already addressed relevant authorities to draw their attention to the fact that the practices of the Ministry of Manpower since March 2018 included violations of the Law and many of its provisions. Some of these practices even amounted to abuse of power. The Ministry and its directorates refrained from conducting their duties, and they even refused to give reasons or justifications for their actions.

CTUWS also expressed its concern from the adverse effects of these practices especially after the issuance of the report of the CEACR of the ILO in which the Committee expressed its concern that is spite of efforts exerted over many years to achieve conformity between national legislation and the Convention, some of the provisions of the Trade Unions Organizations Law and its Executive Regulations, as well as the way they were implemented, led to the establishment of serious obstacles that hinders the full practice of freedom of association for all workers.

While the report of the CEACR criticized the practices of the Egyptian Government (the Ministry of Manpower), the Ministry’s responses to the Committee’s remarks were not convincing, and sometimes not even logical, which led the Committee to demand further detailed answers that were not provided until now, as far as we know. 

Center for Trade Unions and Workers Services

Friday, 10 May 2019