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Land Center for Human Rights
The Series of Reports on Economic and Social Rights.
15th IssueTHE EGYPTIAN LABOR PROTESTS DURING 1999 " A SHOUT AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT OF EGYPT."
"164 LABOR PROTESTS IN 1999, 92 PROTEST IN THE LAST HALF OF 1999"
A report prepared by:
Land Center for Human Right
Date of Issuing:
April 200Preface
For several decades ago the labor in Egypt had not experienced as critical historical phase as what they do now, the phase that distinguished with violation of their rights, absence of real representation and participation in the management of their own and their country's affairs.
This is mainly because the policies that the state approaches in front of them regardless of the economic and social dimensions of those laborers. The order that led to a raise of protests that witnessed in Egypt during the last years despite all that constrains the state impose from which the labor suffer.
Thus although the heavy constraints under which the labor can not practice the legal forms of protest we find that they could practiced all the peaceful forms of protests against the violations to which they expose.
Where they were able to practice, during the last a few years and because of the hard conditions under which they live and work all the possible forms of protest. From sending complaints, urgent actions to the concerned responsible officials to the protest through going on a sit-down strike, demonstration and work strikes.
Where the ways to confront and resist those protests by the state were varied. From committing them to the military prosecution as what done to the workers of the Military 9 factory under allegation that they submit to the military judiciary, to accusing them with the practice of outlaw behaviors as exactly was done to the workers of Assiut Cement factory.
The laborers are not alone the victims of these policies, where the farmers, professionals (journalists, lawyers, engineers, etc.) do also witness similar situation. Which made some of persons that are interested in the rights of those categories to call this current period as the one that witnessed the most fierce assault against the rights of these categories that have not been experienced in Egypt before.
Thus, the government does insist in going on in its policy that puts those categories in a narrow margin and excluding them from practicing their rights. Where instead of releasing all the constraints on those rights such as right in organization, meeting, demonstration and going on strike, as well as preparing the suitable atmosphere for practicing them. It does resort to impose more and more of impediments through adding hard modifications on the laws and extending the validity of the emergency law. While the same state does practice these unfair policies does give some other categories more of exceptions and exemptions and support, which is inevitably would lead to bad consequences in the near future.
The LCHR in this respect sees that those labor protests mirror the tries of workers seeking for their own rights and needs for livelihood and freedom. They represent a shout from those workers against the government and the policies that aim to exclude them from the political participation even when the question is related to their essential needs and rights.
The order that obligates us to work for correcting this situation in order to release these rights form the governmental constraints that increase day by day. And also to stop the violations of millions of persons are exposed to be homeless and workless as well as rethinking in the most controversial laws particularly the new work law.
In this context the report of Land Center for Human Rights tries to monitor all the form of protest that initiated by the laborers during the last half of 1999. Despite the difficulties and problems we faced in achieving the accurate documentation of those protests whether through the main or secondary resources.
In the same time we would like to indicate that the delaying of issuing this report is referring to several reasons the most important of which is that the Center was engaging through the last six months of 1999 and until now in the new association law No. 153. Which organizes the work of NGOs in Egypt about which the Center has issued several papers represented the most important notes that brought about its clauses.
The report presents the labor protests in Egypt during the last half of 1999 through three following sections. Protests of the workers of the state and the economic authorities that submit to the law No. 148 of 1978. The protests that practiced by the workers of the works sector who are submit to the law No. 203 of 1991. And finally the protests that done by the workers of the private sector who are submit to the law No. 127 of 1981.
This approach in classifying the protests on according the ruling law is based on the new trial of the government to equalize all the workers under the various categories according a new controversial law called the Unified Work Law. Despite the rights and commitment of the workers in these different sectors are different from each of other.
The report tries also to monitor the situation of each of these three sectors in the light of the formal statements and resolutions that issued by the government in each sector. Where the report handles the situation of the private sector through a striking example represented in the 10th of Ramadan Industrial City one of the cities that the government considers them the future of industry.
Then the reports ends with final notes the most important of them are consisted in those were brought about the unified work law. In this respect we are also concerned to indicate that several other reports issued by the Center and other centers, committees of parts and other authorities were issued on the same issue.
We hope the responsible officials in the Egyptian Trade Union Federation, the Ministry of Work Force, the members of People Assembly and Shoural (Consultative) Council to take the attached recommendations in their consideration. In order to protect the human resources in Egypt that forms the core of the Egyptian economy as well as to protect the human rights of those millions of worker according the constitution and the international conventions.
Section one: the Current Situation of the Works Sector and the Labor' Needs in it.
This section is divided into main parts, the first is reading in the current situation of the works sector in Egypt while the second part monitors the most important protests that occurred in this sector during the period covered by the report.
First, Reading in the Current Situation of the Works Sector in Egypt:
Although the state direction toward disentangle the public sector in economy has been initiated since mid of 1970s, the direction that reinforced with laws of open-door economy, investment and money stocks. The real steps for deconstruct and selling the governmental sector have not been started until the beginning of 1990s through the law of general sector of works and programs of privatization.
The number of companies of this sector that have been sold or privatized reached 110 companies in October 1999 form 308 the total of the sector's companies. The percentage that indicates the slowness of the privatization process and the rehearsal failure of the privatization plans that put by the successive governments.
In this respect the LCHR sees that the pans and programs of privatization is a part of the general policy of the state for transition to the market economy. The policies that would not be confined to the selling the companies of the public sector but it further aims to reconstructing all the aspects of Egyptian economy for the mechanism of free market to be as the main organizer and controller of all the processes of this economy.
In this regard, it is worth noting that the process of privatization was started form 15 years ago, before settling the legal framework that organizes this sector, represented in the Law No. 203 of 1991. But the process has not taken broad steps until February 1990 when 2000 enterprises of those were belong to the local governments and provinces. Where as we think that these policies would impact al the social situation of the poor and laborers in Egypt whether directly or indirectly as we explain in the following:
1- The impacts of market economics.
- For the indirect impacts of the policies of transition to the market economy: they can be traced through monitoring the financial policies of the state where the governmental procedures have been emphasized, in order to treating the deficiency of the general budget. On decreasing the subsidization, constraining the governmental employment and freezing the salaries on specific limit in addition to raising the prices and fees of great number of commodities and services.
For instance, the percentage of subsidization has been in the general budget from 12.8 to 9.7 in the financial year of 1991-92 then to 7.3 in 1993-94.
Where the report of the human development that issued from the National Institute of Planning 1995 has indicated that the real value of the expenditure on education has been decreased. While the same report indicated also the deterioration of the medical services and that the real expenditure on the social and cultural services is in continuous decreasing.
For the resources of the state it continued depending on the indirect taxes, which gained from the sales, stamps, and the customs duties. Which contributed with no less than 65 of the total value of tax resources in society that means more burden shouldered by the limited- income categories compared with their income.
In this regard, we have to mention that the depending on the indirect taxes means that the taxation policy is still aiming to achieving the financial target on the account of the social aims.
It is worth mentioning that the amounts that the budget allocates for including the employment in the new projects and funding the transitional training is more less than the aims related to solving the problem of unemployment. Despite the efforts that are already approached in this regard, there is no systematic measurement of this phenomenon as what happens in the developed countries, consequently there is no serious measurement to confront the phenomenon of unemployment.
No doubt that there are real efforts and procedures for employing a part of the unemployed, however they can not be as alternative for the serious confrontation of this danger that lies in the heart of society and reinforce the factors of violence and crime.
The government in this respect does assure that the Unified Work Law does aim to confront the most dangerous phenomenon in the Egyptian society in which represented in the unemployment. But which unemployment is meant here?
Is it that was reported in Ministry of Work Force that reached 1.2 million persons or that monitored in the report of the Shoura Council and the American Embassy in Cairo of 1998 that reached about three million unemployed persons. Or the number that assured by the experts of economy and planning the work force that proceeded several millions particularly with collective returning of the labor from the Gulf countries.
The report of human development in Egypt of 1997/98 indicated that taking with the structural reconditioning programs have led to a deterioration of the economic and social situation of the poor in Egypt. While in the same time these governmental procedures in this concern do work for redistribute the income and wealth in behalf of the holder of capital against the breadwinner and the holders of the weak income.
When we study the core of these governmental policies, we would discover for the first moment that the transition to the market economy has not been achieved only through the programs of privatization. But also through a quick and systematic withdrawal of the state from the fields of education, health and social services, thus while it can be acceptable for the state to withdraw from some fields for economic reasons.
But it would be responsible essentially for the basic services and fields of the main utilities such as the education and health care.
In this respect, and when some people argue that the interesting in helping the poor and workers is a cumbersome process against the economic process. We see, on the contrary, that interesting in the human resources would promote the skills and abilities for comprehensive development and consequently would achieve a real economic progress based on right bases.
On the other hand the development in this mean requires an economic growth without which the process of development can not be achieved on ground. Where the economic growth is not enough in itself and should be translated to high levels of human development.
- For the direct impacts of the policies of transition to the market economy: the most important of this sort of impacts can be found in the public sector that exposed to broad changes in the labor conformation and wages distribution under the structural reconditioning programs. Here we monitor the direct impacts of this program on the laborers of the public sector.
Thus with the beginning of 1990s the number of workers in the public sector decreased from 1.328.265 at the end of 1990/91 to 1.317.265 i.e. more than 11 thousand workers were the size of decreasing in that year.
While concerning the employment of the works sector(1) in particular it was decreased to 1.078.379 in 1990/91 at rate of 17 thousand workers only in that year. It means that the rate of workers decreasing in the Works Sector is more than the rate of decreasing in the entire Public Sector.
But the impact of transitional policies was varied from a sector to other, thus concerning the conformation of employment it has been increased in the sector of electricity. While it has been decreased in the industrial sector from 558592 to 547749 in the end of 1992 i.e. about 11 thousand workers a rate of decreasing.
Concerning the sector construction and inhabitance the companies that belong to the Works Sector, the number of workers were decreased from 114169 to 108331 in the end of 1992 in a rate of about six thousand workers or exactly 5838.
Despite the great numbers of workers that have lost their works in the Public Works Sector during the last period they were only representing a general indications. Thus the phenomenon of dissolution of the lost companies in this sector where the total number of dissolute companies reached to 28 ones. Added to the great number of workers that left the work for various reasons such as they reached the age of retirement, medical reasons, or dismissing.
Thus the policy of constraining the governmental employment in the public sector worked for decreasing the number of employment particularly in the companies of works sector.
The government has also used other means for decreasing the number of employment such as:
* The early retirement: In this concern we mention that a symposium discussing the social impacts of privatization was organized by the Faculty of Law in Mansoura University, where the findings were publicized in the Economic Ahram Magazine the issue No. 106 Monday 24/5/1999. Through this discussion we discovered for the first time that the number of workers who committed to the early retirement, as a preparation for the process of privatization, has reached to a half of million workers.
The report of this symposium added that university of Mansoura has operated a field study on the subject of "privatization and employment" indicated that the size of employment was one million and 13 thousand workers and that the privatization led to decreasing of this number to 625355. And thus 71441 of this number were left under the reason of early retirement.
In this respect, it is known that the state used to encourage the workers on leaving the companies through the early retirement for a reward reaches about ŁE 30.000 lowed to ŁE 20.000 that amount that does not mean a wealth that the workers can use in investment.
Thus they mostly spend it in some luxurious forms of expenditure during the first months of retirement then they search for new work supports his law income of pension. This is exactly the scenario assured in some other reports as we mentioned before in the report of Workers Situation in Egypt in 1998.
* The continuous dismissing of the temporary employment: in 1/1/2000, the newspaper of Al-A'hrar (liberals) mentioned that "during 1993, two million and 300 thousand of workers were transformed from permanent to temporary employment as a transitional phase for firing them.
In addition the government had terminated about 300 thousand contracts with laborers form about 70 of the employment of 330 holder companies belong to the works sector, where the process of termination of contracts continued from 1993 to December 1999".
In this respect the Ministry of Works Sector was cautious to encompass these processes with complete confidentiality, while the (ETUF) and the Ministry of Work Force did not care with this issue.
And despite this confidentiality we could found some cases of the dissolution of the temporary employment between 1995 and 1996 such as Cairo Buildings Company (213 contracts), Arab Co. (180 contracts), Rice Heeling Facilities (500 contracts), Giza Contracts (13), the Geometric Works (900 contracts).
* Dismiss the workers according the demand of the new holder: in all the cases of selling the public sector's institutions we noted that the buyers used to bargain with the sailor to get rid off the workers under allegation that the companies are cumbered with excessive employment. From here the cases of dismissal in the contracts of privatization has been increased the process that led to collective dismissal immediately before the handing the companies to the buyers.
Here we present several examples of these processes: Tersanat Al-Escandaria (3000 cases fired), Beni Swaif Cement (600), Gharb Aldelta Co. (500), Egot Hotels (150), Sheraton Heliopolice (700).
* Dismissal occurred with dissolution of the allegedly loser companies: the officials that responsible for privatization when they begin to sell the companies that described as loser used to dissolute them with firing the workers. In this respect we could recorded the following cases: Al-Neel of Agricultural Crops (910 cases), Al-Acttan Co. (7150), Al-Barary of Investment Co. (70), Ganoub Al-Tahrir Agricultural Co. (1500), the factory of press wood (500) and Sifa for Rubber (700).
According the estimation of the Economic Ahram Magazine,a governmental one and in the issue No. 106 of 24/5/1999, there were some estimations of the victims of privatization:
+ Victims of dismissal under allegation of the excessive employment, they reached 150 thousand cases.
+ Victims of the complete dissolution of the loser institutions, 10 thousand cases.
On the other hand when we present a cases for example form the companies of this sector we would feel the situation more really. Thus in the Egyptian Contracts Co. "Mokhtar Ibrahim" the number of permanent employment that take the higher wages and many other privileges and guarantees was decreased under the procedures of restructuring the employment.
Thus it was decreased from 4284 in 1994/95 to 4217 workers in 1995/96 then to 4109 in 1996/97 and at last but not least to 4040 in 1998/99. The company for compensating the deficiency of employment restored to employ workers with temporary contracts through which they take less wages and privileges than the permanent employment.
Where the number of workers who contracted temporarily with the company have been increased form 1414 workers in the end of 1992/93 to 2994 in the end of 1997/98. Then the company gave up some of them and depended on the casual workers where about 473 of the temporary workers were fired during the financial year of 1998/99.
The reason of depending on the casual workers is the low wage, in one hand, and absence of guarantees in the other. The table below includes the number of the temporary and permanent employment and average of their wages in the company of Mokhtar Ibrahim.
Employment /Years - 1992/93 93/94 94/95 95/96 96/97 97/98 98/99 Number of workers 5126 5619
6149
6691
11289
11483
12618
Permanent employment
3712 4271
4384
4217
4109
3989
4040
Temporary employment
1414 1348
1810
2474
2939
2994
2521
Casual employment
3600 4000
4000
4000
4250
4500
6037
The annual average of wages for the permanent and temporary employment
9051 9430
11611
13440
11000
13000
7746
707 10.2
12.5
14.2
-
-
-
Notes:
The casual employment does not gain specific privileges or rewards.
The annual average of the casual employment in 1998/99 equals ŁE 2484 which is very less than the general average in the company that reached to ŁE 7746.
The general average of the wages had decreased in 1998/99 with excluding the number and wages of the casual workers.
The annual average of wage in the company excluding that of the casual workers in 1995/96 equaled ŁE 8411.
No doubt that the main reason of restructuring the employment in the companies of the Works Sector is to decrease the costs through decreasing the wages the procedure that violates the rights of more than million workers in these companies.
It is worthy mentioning, in the other hand, that one of the main items in the process of financial restructure in these companies is to restructuring the wages. The issue that made the Arab Strategic Report of 1992 to indicate that there is a notable decline in the level of the real wage of the workers in the governmental sector, the economic authorities and the works sector.
When we see that figures included in the governmental reports budgets we would not be able to conclude the real development of the wages in the public sector. Thus when we count the real wages we have to put in our consideration the indications of prices and the rates of inflation noting that the effect of inflation is not balanced to all the categories in society.
In this respect the report of Human Development indicated that the rate of inflation to the consumer category that represents the poorest category (40 of the people) in society is 2-3 more than the average of inflation.
In this concern when we note the development of the annual average of wages in the public sector in relation to the rate of inflation we note that the wages raised from ŁE 4665 in 1999/91 to ŁE 5022 in 1991/92 i.e. increase by 7.7 . While the rate of inflation we find that in the same period the rate reached 18, which means the declination of the real wage. The same thing is notable in companies of the Public Sector of Works where the pure annual wage was raised from ŁE 4180 in 1990/91 to ŁE 4496 in 1991/92 while the real value of wage has been declined in relation to the rate of the inflation.
The order is different in the other various sectors, thus in the companies of the internal and external trading, the annual average wage decreased from ŁE 4088 in 1990/91 to ŁE 4051 in 1991/92 regardless of the high rate of inflation.
On more specific level, in concerning the development of wages level, and in the sector of industry, belongs to the Sector of Works, the wages were increased in lower rate than the average of wage in the companies of these sector. Which in turn is less than the average of the public sector, where the average of wage in the industrial sector was raised from ŁE 4195 in 1990/91 to ŁE 4467 in 1991/92.
For instance, if we have a look on one of the companies belong to the Sector of Works, let's say this one we took as example above "Mokhtar Ibrahim". The annual average of wages concerning the permanent and temporary employment was raised from ŁE 9051 to ŁE 9430 in 1993/94 i.e. increased by 4.2 while the rate of inflation in the same year was 8.7 which means that the real value of the wage decreased by 4.5.
This of course in addition to the raise of prices of the foods that jumped by 169.6 from 1987 to 1994 i.e. in annual rate 24.2.
In the same company Mokhtar Ibrahim for contracts we can also indicate to the decrease of the annual average of wages for both the permanent, temporary and casual employment which downed from ŁE 8411 in 1995/96 to ŁE 7746 in 1998/99. In the same time the prices of both the foods, clothes, medical care and cultural and education were raised in the same period by 81, 15.6, 12.5 and 23.6 respectively.
2- Means used by the state in managing the processes of privatization.
Although the state does use several means in managing and consummating the process of structural reconditioning and privatization of which there have been wide impacts on the rights and acquired privileges of laborers particularly in the companies belong to the general sector of works.
The point in which we are interested here is that to emphasize on some of these means the state has being used in executing these programs that most important of which are the laws and regulations that have directly impacted the rights of laborers.
In this concern, the law No. 203 of 1991 might be the most important and controversial one, where it was a crucial step towards the preparation for the process of privatization. However, we do not discuss here all the aspects related to the law, we see it is enough to shed a light on the articles and clauses that directly touch the situation of those laborers in the companies become submit to this law.
Concerning the most important one of the economic and social rights represented in the right to work. The mentioned law managed it trickery, specifically in the article No. 44, when stipulated that the workers in companies belong to the Public Sector of Works are submitted to the law No. 137 of 198 instead of the law No. 48 of 1978.
This means that those workers have being deprived from warrants that protect them against dismissal, the warrants that were stipulated in the law No. 48 of 1978. Where this procedure was used to be occur through a disciplinary court.
Now the law No. 137 of 1981 give a free hand to the administration to fire the worker without giving the last the right to restore to the judiciary unless this dismissal were because of a syndicate activity. Accordingly, campaigns of dismissal have been practiced against the workers of the public sector during the last years taken several forms. Such as ending the service through temporary contracts, ending the service of patients who are decided to practice light works and in sometimes giving the workers weak evaluation as a preparation for firing them after two bad successive reports.
There is also a differential point for the workers between the two mentioned laws, thus the law No. 48 of 1978 was warranting the promotion of workers according the seniority, selection, periodical incentives and courageous rewards. While the law No. 137 of 1981 does not recognize these rights except the annual incentive that is not less than 7 of the wage value that is stipulated in the article No. 42.
In the same time, amongst the privileges that were included in the law No. 48 and not bring in the law No. 137 is the returns of representation, hazards, innovation, travel, distinguish performance and the courageous bonuses. The vacations also have been shrunken in the companies of this sector with annulment of the law No. 48, thus the annual vacation was 45 days to the worker that reached 50 years according the last law while the current valid law makes it 30 days only.
For the casual leave, while the law No. 48 decided seven days, the law No. 137 that is currently valid decides three days only deducted from the annual vacation. On the other hand and for the sick leave the previous law was deciding the workers who spent three years in the work to get three full- paid months throughout the year, while the current law 137 decides three 75 of wage value paid.
In the same time, the previous law was stipulating the worker to get a not paid vacation for accompany his her spouse to go abroad or to care the children for maximum two years, the current one decreases this long for only one year.
And while the previous law was deciding one full-paid month for performing the pilgrimage, the current one decides the same long but for 50 of the salary. And concerning the delivery leave for women that was full paid three months in the law No. 48 it has being only 50 days conditioned with spending six months in service.
Replacing the law 48 with the current 137 has undoubtedly led to declination of the workers' rights particularly in concerning the vacations and wages as shown above.
For the other items of the law No. 203 of 1991 that are directly touching the rights of laborers particularly the article No. 43 that stipulates the wages, bonuses, rewards, returns and incentives to be correlated with the level of production and profits that the company can achieve. On the base of this text, the company can pretend the loss in order to decrease the basic value of wages and salaries.
It is not understood to correlate the returns of hazards and living that supposedly the workers get for specific unchangeable needs and emergencies. Such as to work in areas far from his/her living area with the level of production and profits instead of the natural conditions of work place and performance as used traditionally applied for long time even in the most capitalist countries.
The fourth article of the same law No. 203 of 1991 does not the preserve the workers' rights when it stipulates that the worker to keep what he/ she gains of returns, vacations and temporal and financial privileges in personal specificity.
This text asserts implicitly the annulment of these rights and privileges when it makes them in personal form depriving the next generations from enjoying them. Even the worker him/herself that leaves the work and reassigned in other authority would be deprived from these rights because they are not standardized or unified. On the other hand, to make these rights preserved in personal specificity causes damages to the worker's insurance rights on these amounts of money.
Concerning the workers' rights in the profits, the previous law were stipulated that the workers have a share in the profits in no less than 25 of the pure profits, 10 in cash money, 10 for inhabitance and 5 for social services. While the article No. 33 of the law 203 has decreased this share from 25 to 10 and added that the worker can not get a mount that is more than the total amount of their basic annual salary or wage.
The same law has also shrunken the value of profits according which the percentage of workers is accounted. When the article No. 32 stipulates that the pure profits are those values achieved by the company after subtracting all the costs and avoiding all the damages and wastes of the materials. This is in addition to the various uncountable precautions such as legal, disciplinary and other kinds decided by the general assembly of the company.
The article No. 38 of the executive regulation of the law No. 203 adds a new sort of deduction from the profit value. Where it stipulates that the profits that can be distributed are those pure profits form which the values of loss of the capital along the previous years are deducted.
On the other hand and concerning the workers' right to participate in management, the law No. 203 does impose many constraints on this right. Thus it differentiates, in one hand, between the holder companies and the company that submits to them in concerning the size of workers representation in the directories. Where the workers' representation in the directories of the holder companies does happen through only one member, while the number of members is not less than seven and not more than eleven members.
Even this lonely representative is not elected by the laborers in the holder company but rather he is chosen to be assigned by the directorate of ETUF. This situation does consider a flagrant infringement to the constitution because the holder company considers as one of the public sector units in which, according the article No. 26 of constitution, the laborers should be represented in no less than 50 of the members of the directorates of these units.
Concerning the representation of workers in the general assembly the article No. 34 of the law, of the public sector's authorities, No. 97 of 1983 stipulates the general assembly of the company, that is completely owned by the state or public figures, to include four member of the company's workers. Then the article No. 9 of the law 203 decreased this number to only one member assigned by the ETUF according a decision by the cabinet.
While in concerning the general assembly to its capital the private sector does not contribute, the article No. 25 of the law No. 203 decreased the number of representatives of workers from four members to only two assigned by the syndicate committee.
In the same time, in concerning the companies that to its capital the private sector does contribute, the article No. 35 of the law 97 of 1983 was stipulating that the workers o be represented by four workers through a syndicate committee. Then the article No. 26 of the law No. 203 annulled the workers representation absolutely from the formation of the general assembly.
No doubt that the law No. 203 was one of these constraining means that the state used to shrunk the rights of workers particularly in concerning the vacation, rewards, fair wages and also the right to participate to the management of the directorate in democratic way. While it violates the right to work that is one of the basic economic and social human rights.
But there are still the consequences of this law that are also considered of the constraining means that imposed against several rights of workers. Thus, among the items are organizing the companies' regulations the article No. 42 stipulates that every company has to settle, with the general specialized syndicate, the regulations that are related to the system of workers in this company.
On the base of this rule the directorate dies use this article to settle hard regulations through which it can practice several forms of pressure on the workers whether concerning their privileges or the exaggeration in punishing them when they commit some fault.
For instance, in the company of Iron and Steel, the disciplinary regulation that was ratified in 1997 settles, in more than 30 articles of total 72 articles, the punishment of dismissal, after ratifying the decision by a trial committee. While it was included in the previous regulation in only 18 articles, this is in addition to some changes in some other articles to be against the interests of workers. Such as in the article No. 35 that punishes on collecting money, signatures or aids, while the previous regulation was punishing only on collecting signatures and only which cause damage to the system of work.
The article No. 68 punishes on entering leaflets or prints or participating to organizing meeting damage the security of company, while the article No. 67 as the same as the article No. 68 but imposes different punishment, so what article though which the laborer would be punished?
Further more the both articles 67 and 68 of the disciplinary regulation does shape an infringement against the human rights of workers whether in concerning the right to express their opinion or the right to circulate the information. The articles 35, 67, 68 do also represent a violation against the associative rights of workers where they impose a punishment on activities that consider of the core of syndicate work.
Further more we have also to indicate to the article No. 43 that punishes, with dismissal on absence of committing to practice the essential items of work, the question here is: are these essential commitments are precisely declared and detailed in the regulation? If yes, why this stretchable article is existed?
In this regard we have to mention that the company of Iron and Steel has persecuted the worker Mostapha Soltan the ex head of union committee in the company and the member in the opposition party (Al-Tagamou'). When it committed him to investigation and fired him because his unionist activities inside the company.
In the Medical Preparations Co. the disciplinary regulation issued in 1995 included the punishment with dismissal in 18 articles from total 53 articles. In this regulation you can find peculiar punishments that are not aiming but to terrorize the workers, for instance there are three articles (36, 39 and 40) that punish on smoking two of them stipulate warning the smoker and then followed by dismissal if the (crime) repeated.
The article No. 53 punishes the worker if he utters some words that are not respecting the religion or doctrine of others the act which if done should be punished in the general law for this reason this article effect the worker right to be interrogated before the natural judge.
In the same time the article No. 17 of the same regulation settles four levels of punishment on entering leaflets or publications in the workplace the extreme level is dismissal, the thing that considers a violation of the right to express, opinion freedom and circulating the information.
Furthermore, there is a sever punishment on the deliberate decreasing of production and refusing to work which called in the regulation (articles 27, 32, 30) incitement on infringement of orders.
In this regard we have to indicate that the both mentioned behaviors are classified as states of strike (slowing strike and entire strike). The issue that makes of these disciplinary punishment a flagrant violation against the workers' human rights as mentioned in details in the international convention of the economic and social rights as well as the International Work Conventions.
It is worthy mentioning that the Medical Preparations Co. has witnessed a strike in July 1999 because of which a number of unionists added to 24 workers were prevented from practice their work. This is in addition to five other workers were dismissed under various accusation all of them were around the practice and incitement on striking the accusation that if proven on ground would be of their own rights.
In the Eastern Company of Tobacco, the disciplinary regulation allows the representative member to stop any worker from work and committing him/her to interrogation with paying him/her only the basic salary during the long of interrogation.
The directorate of company has recently used this regulation to practice an arbitrary procedure with the engineer A'sa'd Labib when it decreased his salary and moved him to other site belong to the same company in the Upper Egypt. This was only because his unionist activity, the procedure that developed later to dismissing him under accusation of running a journal talks in which he criticized the directorate.
No doubt that the law and regulations that have been issued under the policy of structural reconditioning have represented a wide attack against the settled rights of workers. Thus they include many articles represent a violation against their rights in expressing their opinion, circulating the information and the unionist work.
But in front of these deteriorating conditions whether in concerning the basic rights in vacations, profits and fair wages or the political and civic rights, the workers did not stand with folded hands. On the contrary these constraining laws and regulations were the main cause of waking the lie dogs as we see in the following sections of this report.
Secondly, Reading in the Protests of Workers of the Public Sector of Works.
During the period covered by the report, the Public Sector of Works has witnessed several labor protests reached to 28 ones occurred over several companies. The protests have taken various forms such as complaining, hungry strike, threatening with strike and sit-down strike. Where the wages were the direct cause behind 11 of these protests, while the arbitrary dismissal was a cause of two and the bad work conditions was a cause of one protest as we are seeing in details in the following:
1- Complaining and hungry strike.
From 28 protests monitored in the report occurred in the public sector of works, presenting the complaints was the most dominant reaction more than the other shapes of protest. The early retirement was the cause of three of these protests and unfair wage was the cause of two, while the arbitrary dismissal and bad work conditions were the cause of one.
In Al-Nasr for Steel Pipes,the union committee in last August presented a formal objection to the Prime Minister accused the directorate of company with working for destroying the company. Where the committee warned in its memoir from dismissing the workers particularly when the situation burned among the workers after closing one of the company's factories and committing 700 to the early retirement. Where a state of disapproval dominated among the workers those are threatened to be committed to the earlier retirement.
In Coldaire Co. a state of anxiety and fear was spread amongst the workers during September 1999, because of stopping the production line since October 1998 in order to save 60 of workers who were coerced to leave the work under the rule of earlier retirement. The workers assured that the company did not stayed the workers of maintenance, where the total number of workers in this company has been decreased from 1600 to only 600 workers do in the factory of air-conditioning.
In Alex, the disapproval has dominated among the workers in the cooperatives during August because the incentives were stopped and the reward of ending the service according the earlier retirement for who spent 35 years to only ŁE 8.000. where the workers raised a complaint to the Prime Minister asked him to equalize them with their counterparts in the other companies who get ŁE 35.000 for the same period of service.
It worthy mentioning that 70 workers were fired in March 2000 while all the workers in the cooperatives were stopped from doing for overtime in 25 cooperatives.
In the company of West of Delta Buses in Tanta the workers have went on a hungry strike in the office of the representative member protesting against the persecution that practiced against them by the directorate of company. Where police was intervened to convent the workers to end the hungry-strike
But the last refused to end it unless they get their own rights and protecting themselves from the persecution.
In the Kafr Al-Dawar Co. for Chemicals in Behaira province, the worker Ezat M. Bassuni went in a hungry strike for more than 12 days in last September. Because the arbitrary decision of moving him from the department of projects to the one of security which in turn affected his level of income. Where the worker accused the head of directorate of company with persecuting him because the worker used to provide the members of directorate with information about some financial and administrative transgressions in the company. The members of the unionist committee tried to make the worker end the hungry strike but he announced that he will continue until the persecution removes and return to his department.
In Al-Nasr Taint and Preparation Co. in Al-Mahla Al-Kobra district, a worker went in a hungry strike in the police station of Al-Mahla Al-Kobra for the maltreatment to which he exposed by the police officers. When he arrested convicted with distributing leaflets for raising the awareness of workers in the company with their rights in improving their conditions particularly the medical care. The worker has been committed to the prosecution where detained for 15 days under investigation.
In the Egyptian Contracts Co. (Mokhtar Ibrahim), a state of disapproval and tension prevailed among the workers for as what they called the bad performance of the directorate of this company. Where the workers raised a memoir to the President included that they have been deprived from th bonuses and incentives in the meantime off paying special financial bonuses to the engineers in the company. Added to a special amount of ŁE 1300 as a reward paid to the official of the private sector of the Works Sector.
Egypt-A'meria Co. for Spinning and Weaving, has also witnessed a situation of tension because the directorate refused to add the social bonus basic value of salaries as have been done in the similar companies. Where the workers raised several complaints to the concerned responsible officials and filed several lawsuits for achieving their own rights.
In this concern it has been reported that the unionist committee has supported the position of directorate against the interests of workers led to prevailing of disapproval amongst the workers particularly after 30 of the productive lines stopped from working.
The sources of information up there, assured that the direct and main reason of that situation was the failure of sells directorate in marketing the products of company. And that this failure led to enormous damage to the workers where they did not get the monthly incentives of production. It was also mentioned that a parliamentarian from the committee of work force was visited the site to search for reasons of that disapproval amongst the workers.
In Suez, the directorate of Egyptian Cement Co. one of the projects of Suez Gulf, decided in September 2000 to dismiss six workers without presenting any reason for this decision. The dismissed workers have filed many collective complaints to the work office in Attaka in which they explained that they have been exposed to arbitrary dismissal. The available information about this company included that the company has not a unionist committee despite the enormous number of workers are existed there.
In Hellwan a state of tension has prevailed amongst the workers in the Hellwan company for foundries as a reaction to the arbitrary decisions that practiced against the unionist committee and workers in general. Thus it was mentioned that the directorate was refused to develop the foundry despite a great number of workers have been affected with pectoral diseases because the bad facilities in the foundries.
In Al-Maragl Al-Tegaria Co. the members of the unionist committee have presented a collective resignation to the general syndicate of geometric industries in July 2000. This procedure was a reaction to the arbitrary policies practiced by the directorate against the workers and negligence of the decisions of this company from the officials. The direct cause of this crisis was the workers have been deprived from the periodical bonuses and incentives in order to move them on leaving the work.
2- Threatening with running a sit-down strike and work strike.
In the Grinders of North Cairo, great number of workers threatened to initiate a sit- down strike and work strike in last August as protest against deducting four days wages from the salary. Where the workers presented a complaint to the head of Holder Company for Food Industries asked him to cancel the decision, but when he did not responded the workers announced their intention to go in strike for canceling the decision.
In Kabo Co. in Alex, the directorate has practiced arbitrary procedures against the workers in October 2000. Where the boss of company used to cut the salary of workers as a punishment when someone commit a fault whatever it was this fault. Then the order developed to canceling the incentive that had in turn led to escalation of the disapproval on workers.
On the other hand, the boss issued a decision to increase the value of cut decided on the colleagues' fund from 6 to 15. While he decreased the reserved reward of ending the service from what equals the value of two months to only one month for every year the worker spent on work.
For these reasons the disapproval increased among the workers who threatened to initiate a sit-down strike for protesting on these arbitrary decisions.
In Delta Steel Co. in Mostorad district, and in the last week of July 2000 the workers went in a sit-down strike in the headquarters of company protested against the canceling of paying the incentives. The security forces have immediately moved to the site and ended the sit-down strike by force.
In the same company, during August 1999 about 250 workers went in a sir-down strike because the directorate refused to pay them the annual incentives that supposed to be paid since July 1999. The strikers demanded also with taking the meal and clothes of industrial security that the directorate has been giving anymore since the beginning of 1999.
The workers condemned the policy of this directorate and convicted them with impeding the production to move the workers on leave the work under the reason of earlier retirement. The security forces were intruded the building in which the workers were striking to end the strike that lasted for two days and in a new unprecedented experience the directorate decided to punish two workers involved in the strike by lowing their functional rank.
In the General Co. for Geometric Works, there were 46 of workers with temporary contracts went in a sit-down strike in last August for dismissal of six workers. Where the protested workers went to the headquarters of the company to announce their objection against the arbitrary decision of dismissing their colleagues, a representative delegation met with the general authorized person who tried to calm down the workers and promised them to returning of their colleagues to the work.
In the Egyptian Co. for Containers in Alex, a great number of workers had went in a sit-down strike because the arbitrary dismissal of some workers. The workers initiated the strike until the directorate investigates the protesting memoir that they raised to the director of the Holder Company. In this concern the head of security department had tried to control the situation and making the strikers to end their sit-down strike but the workers assured that they would not end it unless the fired workers return to their places.
The workers of the Medical Preparations in Hellwan, were also announced the sit-down strike in the building of the company in last July protested on the decreasing of incentives from 60 to 10. Where the director of the Holder Company was decided to shut down the company until the situation get alleviated, but the workers could enforce the directorate to increase the incentives up to 83.
In this concern it is worthy noting that the situation in this company can be summed up in the problems that erupted because the polices settled by the directorate and that violated the earnings of workers. Last of these violations was represented in decreasing their incentives, the order that led to erupting of spontaneous anger among the workers in 11/7/1999.
Then the situation developed to a sit-down strike by the workers who demanded with their lost rights where the directorate responded with firing a group of workers because their unionist activity. The names of dismissed workers are: Fatma S. Gabr, Rashida AbdelA'ziz Ali, Aida Abdel A'ti Mousa, M. Nabawi M. Salem, Seham Wagih Shaker and Hana' Abdo Ibrahim. The directorate was also issued a decision No. 376 of 1999 in 13/7/1999 to exclude four other unionists from the unionist committee, they are: Ali Khalil Sakr Ibrahim, Salah Toukhi M., Yousri Badawi Ali, Salah M. Abdel Ghani Fayed.
This decision was based on an administrative investigation run by the company itself and took the number of 94 of 1999. The company had also stopped 24 workers from working under an accusation that they are dissolute men and women. The ridiculous thing in this all problem was the report of security department that included names of workers were dismissed two years ago about events occurred in 11/7/1999.
The workers had directed to the police station of Zaitoun and filed a record No. 7203 of 1999, while the dismissed workers filed a complaint in the work office of Zaitoun district. Lawyers from the LCHR attended with the dismissed workers in the trial committee in the work office of Zaitoun which decided in 12/9/1999 to refuse the decision of dismissing those workers and returning them to their places.
In the beginning of October 1999, more than 2000 workers in the company of Taint and Preparations went in a strike when the investor went to the company to hand on it. But the workers refused to let him enter and hand on the company protested on the policy of privatization and demanded with clear position guarantees their rights and earnings.
In the Delta Co. for Spinning and Weaving the workers went in a strike for five hours because the company did not pay them the deserved money. The police cordoned the company but could not end the strike that continued until a decision of paying the money issued from the directorate.
In 11/10/1999, the head of the Holder Company of Spinning and Weaving issued a decision to shut down the company in Cairo and giving the workers an only basic value of salary-paid vacation. Where the workers refused to respond to the intervention of Al-Sayed Rashed the head of labor union who tied to seduce them to agree upon renting the company to the Holder Company for one million and ŁE six hundred thousands. But the worker refused this offer and expressed their disapproval where after the issuing of the decision of shutting down the company the workers massed before the gate of company.
In 28/10/1999, there were 300 workers in the same company went on strike because the company sold through the process of privatization. The security forces were intervened in enormous number inside and outside the factory where some of the security officials negotiated with the workers to end the strike. But the last mentioned that they have specific demands and would not end it unless these demands are achieved.
In the same company too and in 3/11/1999, 75 of workers went in a sit-down strike protested against the stopping of paying the social bonus and the return of the work nature and the meal. The strike lasted for four days where the security forces cordoned the building and attacked some workers cause them injuries and transported to the hospital.
In 6/11/1999, about 700 workers collected together before the office of the director of company to protest against renting the company. Where the workers assured that the losses affected the company were because of the bad management. They also indicated that they refused the open vacation that decided by the directorate that they described as a trail to move them on leaving the work under the rule of earlier retirement.
In 8/11/1999, about 750 workers demonstrated in the company to protest against the procedure taken by the security of company to prevent the them from entering the company. They described that procedure as a trial to move them on signing new contracts according which the company can end their service at any time it wants.
In December 1999, in Coca Cola Co., more than 1000 workers continued in their work strike and sit-down strike protested against the arbitrary decision taken to move them to other areas and preventing them form the compensation that were taken by the director.
3- Demonstration:
In October 1999 more than 1000 workers demonstrated in the company of loading and discharging in Alex, protested against the stopping of paying the rewards and returns they used to get before the privatization of the company.
Against also the pressure that the company used to practiced against the workers after it has been privatized, the workers went on a peacful demonstration and raised the signs condemning the directorate. Where the security forces intervened to end the demonstration while arrested the following persons:
1- Sha'ban A. Mohamed 2- Ibrahim M. Ibrahim
3- Hamid Abdel Rahman 4- Mostapha Abdel Rahman
5- Nai'ma al-Sayed Farag 6- Mohamed Ibrahim.
Table (2) shows the places and reasons of protests practiced by the workers of the Public Sector of Works
Serial No. Month Place Reason Kind of protest 1 2
3
4
5
July July
July
July
July
West Delta Bus Co. Tanta Al-Maragl Commercial, Cairo
Delta Steel Co. Cairo
Misr for Medical Preparation, Cairo
Misr Spinning and Weaving, Alex
Persecution Administrative despotism
Incentives and bonuses
Wages and incentives
Incentives and bonuses
Hungry strike Resignation
Sit-down strike
Work strike
Complaints
6 7
8
9
10
11
12
August August
August
August
August
August
August
Nasr Pipes Co. Cairo Cooperatives in Alex
Grinders of North Cairo
Delta Steel Co.
Kabo Weaving Co. Alex
The general Co. for geometric works
The Egyptian Co. for containers
Earlier retirement Wages and Incentives
Incentives and bonuses
Incentives and bonuses
Incentives and bonuses
Arbitrary dismissal
Arbitrary dismissal
Complaints Complaints
Threatening with strike
Sit-down strike
Sit-down strike
Sit-down strike
Sit-down strike
13 14
15
16
17
September September
September
September
September
Coldaire, Giza Al-Mesria Cement, Suez
Hellwan Co. of Foundries, Cairo
Kafr Aldawar Chemicals, Behaira
Ahram Cooperatives
Earlier retirement Arbitrary dismissal
Administrative despotism
Arbitrary dismissal
Administrative despotism
Complaints Complaints
Complaints
Hungry strike
Complaints
18 19
20
21
22
October October
October
October
October
Nasr Taint, Mahla Cairo Taint
Delta Spinning and Weaving
Arabia for loading and discharging a
Quena Electron
Maltreatment Dissolution
Incentives and bonuses
Incentives and bonuses
Maltreatment
Hungry strike Work strike
Work strike
Work strike
Demonstration
23 24
25
26
November November
November
November
Al-Mesria contracts Co. Taint and preparations Co. Cairo
Taint and preparations Co. Cairo
Hellwan for Heaters Co.
Incentives and bonuses Incentives and bonuses
Renting and Dissolution
Wages
Complaints Sit-down strike
Work strike
Hungry strike
27 28
December December
Coca Cola Scania Ghabour
Arbitrary dismissal Arbitrary dismissal
Sit-down strike Hungry strike
Table (3) shows the total number of each kind of protest done by the workers of the public sector of works
Date/ kind of protest Sit-down strike Hungry strike Work strike Demonstration Other kinds Total June - - - - - - July 1 1 1 - 2 5 August 4 - - - 3 7 September - 1 - - 4 5 October - 1 3 1 - 5 November 1 1 1 - 1 4 December 1 1 - - - 2 Total 7 5 5 1 10 28
The references used in this section:
1- Concerning the Company of Al-Mesria for Contracts "Mokhtar Ibrahim".
- The report of the National Co. for Construction and Urbanization, the financial report of Mokhtar Ibrahi Co. the Financial Year 1995/96.
- The financial reports ad budgets of the company itself.
- The budget of the company of 30/6/1999.
4- the report of technical office, attached to the Minister of Public Sector of Works, on the program of broadening the base of ownership (until 30/10/1999).
5- Marsha Pripstein, Labor and the State in Egypt, New York, 1997.
6- A. Nabil Al-Helali, the Law of Works Sector, the battle of whom against whom? The Unionist Service House.
7- Results of works of the Public Sector, the Cabinet Information Decision Support Center (IDSC), 1993.
8- The press archive of Land Center for Human Rights.
9- Lawsuits files in LCHR.
10- The reports of Land Center on the situation of Laborers in Egypt 1998/99.
11- The newspapers of Al-Ahram, Al-Akhbar, Al-Gomhoria, Al-Wafd, Al-Sha'b, Al-Arabi, Al-Hakika, Al-Lowa', Al-Raya Al-Mesria, Afak Arabia, Al-A'lm Alyoum, Al-Ahrar, Al-Khamis and Al-Ahali, in the period from 1/5/1999 to 31/12/1999.
Section two: the Situation of Workers in the Governmental and Economic Authorities with Monitoring the Various Protests in this Sector
This section is dedicated for monitoring the situation of workers in the governmental and economic authorities with shedding the light on the various and most important protests that occurred in this sector.
First: the situation of workers in the governmental and economic authorities:
Since the 1960s the state has been the biggest work owner in Egypt, where the movement of nationalization in 1950s and 1960s was accompanied with a parallel expansion of both the administrative and services organizations of the state. But with the beginning of 1990s, the state begun to detach the sectors that was belong to her particularly those ones of productive nature.
Where the most of companies and factories had been detached from the specialized ministries and integrated in Holder Companies that submits to only one Ministry (the Ministry of Public Sector of Works). This step was a preparation for the process of dissolute and selling the companies under the program of privatization.
When we take a general look on the economic sectors that are still submitted directly to the state. We would find that these sectors are sandwiched between the sectors of the highest profits such as the petroleum sector and those sectors that are related to the sovereignty of the state such as the Suez Canal Authority and the Military Production Authority.
These sectors, for occasion, have still plans for expansion in their activities as well as in preparing the employment, but although that very specific characteristics of these sectors, the government is currently thinking seriously in and planning for detaching them from the state. This is under a plan called "detaching the economic authorities from the state" the proposal plan is that considers a direct preparation for allowing the local and foreign private sector to enter the field of investment. Whether through the funding rent or even through establishing parallel companies in the same activity.
For instance, under the previous government of Al-Ganzouri, there was something like this occurred in the field of communication, where the government allowed the local and foreign private sector to invest their capitals in this field. Which led to monopolization of this service by the private sector.
Although this obvious direction that the government does approach in detaching some sectors and authorities from the state, it is still the biggest owner of work in Egypt. Thus in the beginning of 1999, the number of governmental career ranks were about 5.515.009, while the number of the real employment was about 4.5 million distributed over various functional ranks added to more than 12.000 workers work under temporary contracts.
Those workers are distributed over 106 units between ministries and governmental organizations under which there are 120 authorities sandwiched between economic authorities(2) such as the Authority of Railways and Water and services authorities such as the Authority of Cleaning and Ornamentation of Cairo, added to the local directories.
In this regard, it is worthy mentioning that the entire administrative organization of the state includes a million and 200 thousands officials, with excluding the sector of armed forces we have about 700 thousands form the total officials of this organization.
For the salaries and wages, although the enormous amounts that are allocated for it (ŁE 3.25 billions for the last year), the annual average salary of the worker or official in the organization of state is still around ŁE 4650. However the amount does seem big, it is consider very little in comparison with the salaries of the other sectors particularly when we know that this average is raised for it including some privileged sectors such as the petroleum, armed forces and police. In the meanwhile it including the workers of cleaning and small workers and officials who get very low salaries.
In this concern there is a study operated on the salaries and wages in the governmental sector indicated to this clear discrepancy between the categories of salaries in this sector. Thus in the period from1992 to 1998 the difference was 1:6 where the minimum was ŁE 90the salary of the sixth degree added to the prescribed bonus 160, while the maximum in this salary was ŁE 564.
The study had also indicated that the annual average of worker salary in the governmental sector has been developed from ŁE 3613 in 1992 to 4439 in 1998 in annual raise 10. This figure although it proceeded the rate of inflation during the last three years (that reached in 1997/98/99 to 4.8, 3.6 and 3.8 respectively) but it is lower than the rate of inflation during 1992-93 where it reached to 18 and 15 respectively.
On the other hand, although the development of the formal namely value of the salaries during the 1990s (the real development of salaries value happened in the last three years). The low level of salaries whether namely or the real value can explain why the issue of salaries or wages was the main reason behind most of tension and protests that occurred amongst the officials during the last period.
Thus the government did try to treat this tension and anger amongst the officials through a group of decisions. The most important of them was the Resolution of Prime Minister No. 4249 of 1998 that included to give the workers of state a reward at 25 of the basic value of salary.
But ironically, the wide propaganda used by the government about this resolution gave the workers great expectations that collapsed when the government delayed the paying of 25 which in turn caused a great disapproval amongst those workers.
For also the ambiguity of this resolution, there was a state of confusion among the various administrations concerning the determining of who would benefit from this resolution. Thus, there were some directories paid the bonus of 25 to some workers not for all the workers as exactly happened in the directories of Education when the directories paid it to the administrative workers not to the teachers.
The same case of confusion and ambiguity was accompanied the Resolution of the Minster of Administrative Development that issued for treating the cases of professional failure. In the meanwhile the minister and head of the Central Authority of Organization and Management were issued an immediate decision with promoting the officials who spent eight years at the third rank to the second (higher) rank. And those who spent six years in the second rank to promote to the first rank, and that decision to be valid from January 1999.
But as exactly happened before the decision caused the same state of confusion and disapproval amongst the workers of first rank because they excluded from the resolution. Even those who included in the resolution were also disappointed because the resolution does not differentiate between the workers who spent 15 years and those spent eight years in the same rank.
But the government has benefited from this experience when it issued the resolution of the day off of Thursday, where it has determined precisely the categories that would be off in the Thursday with caring the preservation of work system.
But for noting, a wide sector of officials and workers in the governmental authorities have been benefited from these decisions particularly that one of making the Thursday off since it included an increasing of the work hours without increasing in the wage value. On the other hand it would preserve and rationalize the usage of work place as mentioned by the head of The Cabinet Information Decision Support Center (IDSC).
In addition to the mentioned resolutions, the government does seek in the other hand for get rid off the workers problem through decreasing the size of employment not only through the plan of detaching the economic authorities from the state. But also through other means such as expansion in depending on the temporary employment, where number of workers who are contracted temporarily with the sate reached 12.115 workers in the various sectors as follows:
- 7.418 workers in the service authorities (61.23)
- 2278 workers in the administrative organization (18.8)
- 2258 workers in the economic authorities (18.64)
- 161 workers in the local administration (1.33).
On the other hand, some officials of the state organization have announced severally that they intent to implement the system of earlier retirement on the governmental officials. Whereas Dr. Zaki Abu-A'mer the Minister of Administrative Development in a talking he run with Al-Gomhoria newspaper at 25/2/1999 has mentioned that "the earlier retirement is under discussion and that there are 167.000 officials are expected to retire within five years according the system of earlier retirement". This was not the first time in which the minister talked about the earlier retirement, where he was stated similar words at 27/2/1998.
No doubt that the officials in the administrative organization of the state are representing a sector that expose to wide pressure that used to result in a state of disapproval among them. But for the governmental decisions used to be out without accurate study of the workers demands and conditions in a propagandizing context. Those decisions instead of relieving the workers' disapproval they add more of disappointment among the workers. In the following we present a case study of some workers of the state sectors then we discuss the various legal situation of them as follows.
1- a case study of some workers in the state organization "Cleaner Workers"
For instance, although the sector of service authorities is very connected and directly with the people interests, its workers do suffer from very low level of wages added to several problems. Thus the authority of Cleaning and Ornamentation of Cairo, for example, has about 15.000 workers included 2628 women divided into two main sections the one of cleaning the streets and the other of planting the trees on the sides of roads.
Those workers suffer the low level of wage that range between ŁE 80 and 120 while the only mean of transportation they can use from their inhabitance areas to the workplaces is a lorry. They also suffer from the long duration of workday, where they are enforced to work for more hours under threaten of canceling the incentives. They also suffer from other problems such as they sometimes are enforced to buy tools for work on their account because the authority does not give these tools but after a fix period regardless of their validity.
Under these sever conditions the previous government was issued a resolution for equalizing those workers to the workers of the healthy drainage concerning the returns of exposing to risks at (60) of the basic value of wage added to ŁE 15 as a return for a daily meal. This resolution was issued at February 1999, but until December 1999 there have not been any returns paid to those workers in the departments of Cleaning in both Hellwan, Al-Tibin and Mayo. Where the workers begun to ask for their deserved delayed payments and went in a sit-down strike in Wednesday in Tibin with their counterparts of Hellwan. The protest was emphasized on getting a soon promise for paying the returns, but as a result of the administration delaying in carrying out its promises the worker of Hellwan went in a strike in 21/12/1999 from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
In the next day the same region of Tibin witnessed a protest from the workers because the same reason. Where the colonel Edris Mohamed was moved to serve in other region for his arbitrary treatment with the strikers.
But for note, the problem of low wage and delay of paying the rewards was not the only problem from which these workers are suffering. Thus the workers of this sector are suffering from absence of health insurance and medical care besides the bad and hazardous conditions in which they work.
This situation of workers of this sector is just an example of what the workers of service sectors are suffering whether concerning the low wage of maltreatment and absence of services.
2-The Legal Situation of Civil Workers in the Economic and Governmental Authorities.
During the last period, the government announced that the loses of the economic authorities in the financial years of 98/1999 reached ŁE three billions and 60 millions. But it ignored the most loses that come in the service authorities that its losses reached ŁE one billion and 143 million in the sam4e year. The suggested resolution in front of this size of losses is detaching these authorities from the state through the process of privatization.
But this process does pose some legal problems concerning the workers. Thus the current workers in these authorities are submitted to the rules of the law No. 47 of 1978 with the various amendments that happened to it since it was settled. In the meanwhile the workers who are working in the private companies under the same conditions of work are submitting to the law No. 137 of 1981.
This contradiction can be obviously present in the company of Wagons of Sleep and Eating that works in the field of aid and services in the same Authority of Railways. Where in this company there are 150 workers are attached to the company from the authority and are submitted to the law No. 47 of 1978 and meanwhile there are also 1500 workers are submitted legally to the law No. 137 of 1981.
In this regard the workers do suffer from flagrant discrimination that is practiced by the administration between the two groups of workers. Thus when the workers who are submit to the law No. 137 of 1981 get an annual bonus at 7 (at maximum ŁE 7) according the article No. 42 of the law. The workers on the other hand, who are submitted to the law 47 of 1978 get at least ŁE 18. In the same time the article No. 42 mention in details all the incentives and returns deserved to the worker there is no a similar article in the law No. 137 of 1981.
Concerning the vacations in the law 47 reaches 45 days a year to that worker reached 50 years (article 65), while in the law 137 it is only one month. The same thing is happened in concerning the sick leave it is full salary paid 90 days in the law 47 (article 65) while in the law 137 it is for the same period but for only 75 of the salary.
In the law 47 the worker woman has the right to get a unpaid vacation for two years for caring her child (article 70) but the same vacation is for only one year in the law 137 (article 156).
In the law No. 47 the worker would be dismissed from work if he/she absent for continuous 15 days or for thirty intermittent days (article 98) while in the law 137 the workers would be dismissed if he absent for continuous 10 days or 20 intermittent days (article 71).
These points are not but quick notes on the difference between the workers' rights in both the law No. 47 and 137 that point to the problems of discrimination between the two groups of workers in the company of Sleeping and Eating Wagons. Which is in turn considers as a model of the problems that the workers of economic authorities would expose to when they are privatized.
But in this regard it is worthy mentioning that this problem was not the last to which he workers of this company have faced. Thus since the establishment of the company in 1980 to replace the one of Sleeping and eating Wagons in the authority it had contracted with a number of workers who have been legally submitted to the law No. 47 of 1978. Then the confrontations occurred between the company and the new management where the French management was abstained from paying the various returns and bonuses of workers that accumulated to reach ŁE one million.
When the unionist committee tried to resist the arbitrary treatment that practiced against the workers the general trade union in the authority of Railways interfered to stop the activity of the committee. The position that in turn raised the question about the role of this general union and the reality of its representation of the workers in concerning of defending of workers' interests and rights.
In the first of January 2000, the contract of the French company "Acour" of Hotels ended and the company contracted with another one called Abila Egypt which management desired in holding new contracts with the workers excluded the previous insuring period that was included in the old contracts. The new contracts settled also to be for only one year but the workers refused all these conditions and sent several complaints to the concerned authorities while went in a sit-down strike and hungry strike.
In the other hand, for the workers of the sector of electricity it was reported that although this company is submitted to the General Authority of Egypt' electricity that is, in turn, a part of the Ministry of Electricity. These companies are submitted to the law No. 137 of 1981 as mentioned in the regulations of organizing the workers affairs that was issued by the Minster of Electricity No. 290/99. The order that represents a sort of lowing of the workers rights because they were enjoy with more rights and privileges under the previous law of civil workers of the government.
Finally the Land Center for Human Rights indicates that the workers in the ministries and governmental authorities do expose to wide pressures and the high concentration of employment as well as the bad conditions of work and absence of services such as the medical care and social insurance. These exactly the conditions and situation that led to many protests in these authorities as we see in the following section.
Second: protests of workers in the governmental and economic authorities.
The second half of 1999 has witnessed 40 protests held by the workers in the governmental authorities. These protests were distribute almost all over the provinces of Egypt where we preferred to divide them in this part of the report into the protests hat held by the workers in the government and those that occurred by the workers in the economic authorities as follows.
1- The protests held by workers in the governmental bodies.
In this part we present each of the following shape of protests:
1- Complaints
Sending complaints to the concerned bodies and authorities is the most common shape of protest among the workers in the governmental bodies. Thus during the period covered by this report has witnessed 15 singular and collective complaints presented by the workers in government where the low level of salaries or wages was the most prevailed reason for these complaints.
For instance in July, there a state of disapproval prevailed amongst the workers of Survey Office in Al-Gamalia in Al-Dakhlia province because the directory refused to pay the incentive prescribed for the workers at rate of 25 of the basic value of salary. Where the workers threatened to go in a strike for executing the decision of paying their incentives
While the teachers of Shubra Al-Khaima school were presented a protesting memoir to the Prime Minister in which they indicated that the prescribe incentives are equal only ŁE 3 monthly and that they did not get the incentives that prescribed for the complete day since November 1998.
In this respect it was reported that the protests of teachers were continued during the second half of 1999 in other various places. Where 631 of the teachers of Al-Oxur school, for example, were sent a complaint to the Minister of Education asked him to pay their salaries that are frozen since February 1998. The teachers in the complaints have also indicated that 250 teachers of them are from the north provinces of Egypt and that they can not keep on with the living conditions of Upper Egypt without salary.
In September in Bayada district, 1150 workers of the educative area of Al-Bayada sent a complaint to the concerned administration for the delaying of paying the salaries. While 150 educative counselors sent complaints for the damages affected them because the incentives of 25 have been stopped and also because the low rate of returns of travel.
In September also, many of teachers in Port Said sent a protesting memoir to the Minister of Education for their prescribed bonus has not been paid since March 1998. While in Fayyum, 260 teachers of Tamia school sent a complaint to the concerned educative administration for their prescribed rewards have not been some months ago.
In the Body of Estate Taxes, a state of disapproval prevailed amongst the workers because the low level of salaries and wages, the fixed functional structure and delay of promotion. The disapproval and protest of workers has been continued along the last six months of 1999 taken various shapes particularly after the body was transferred to the Ministry of the Local Governance. Where the discrepancy whether in concerning of the salaries or the various incentives and bonuses between the workers that are belong to the Ministry of Finance and that workers of estate taxes who have been submit to the Ministry of Local Governance begun to be wide.
Then the resolution No. 136 issued to add more burden on these workers, where it deprived them from the promotion and occupying the leadership positions where the resolution confine the promotion to the workers that are submitted to the Ministry of Finance only.
For this reason we can clearly hint the wide difference between the positions of those workers and officials of the ministry of finance and that of the estate taxes who are submitted to the local governance. The later can not promote in their positions to be general director but the highest rank they can occupy is a commissioner.
Kamal Reyad the head of the commission of Meet Ghamr was presented his C.V to the formal competition for occupying the position of general director in both Al-Shrkia and Ismai'lia provinces. And although his C.V was meeting the conditions demanded he was not chosen to the position just because he is legally submitted to the local governance. The official has resorted to file a lawsuit through the LCHR against the Ministry of Finance, which lost his rights. And in his testimony, the official mentioned that "although the body of estate taxes is submitted to the law No. 187 of 1993 and its executive regulation in concerning the unified tax". The workers of this body see that they have been exposed to obvious persecution that led them to practice several protest during the last years, form sending complaints to demonstration before the building of parliament.
The workers in this respect have presented a memoir to the Minister of Finance included that they are damaged from the Ministerial Resolution No. 136 of 1974 that lost many of their rights preserved in the constitution. This of course in addition to the low level of their salaries in comparison with the salaries and privileges of their counterparts in the Ministry of Finance. The Minister's response to this memoir included a recommendation to return these bodies (excluded the estate taxes) that have been submitted to the Ministry of Local Governance from 1960 to 1974 to their natural place in the Ministry of Finance.
In his response he also indicated that the wise in making this body submit to the local governance was very useful in rising the yields of taxes from ŁE 250 millions in 1991 to ŁE 400 millions in 1998, so why we should transfer it to the Ministry of Finance?
On the other hand, when the workers disappointed from the intervention of the Minister of Finance they resort to the Minister of Administrative Development and could held a meeting with him in the headquarters of Ministry. The Minister assured that the officials in his ministry are taking the necessary procedures for narrowing the differences between the various categories of workers and also for promoting the categories that deserving higher ranks and rewards.
The Minster has also criticized the unfair discrimination between the workers of the general council of the estate taxes body and the regular works of the body concerning the salaries, position ranks and bonuses. Where he knew that the later workers (500 workers) are holding all the higher ranks and get 130 of the basic value of salary as monthly incentives and 50 as irregular bonus added to great financial credits for training courses and returns of travel and follow up.
In the same time the controlling organizations have discovered that the workers in the general council get the amounts of money that are allocated to the workers in the directories of estate taxes in the various provinces which led them to get a salary of two months every 45 days. While the workers in the directories do not get but the daily wage value despite the great effort they exert in their work.
The order then developed when the workers of the same body in the branch of Cairo protested about the same situation. But this time they collected in enormous numbers before the building of parliament to express on their problem of law salaries, absence of incentives and the discrimination between them and their counterparts in the Ministry of Finance.
The security forces were resisted their tries to intrude the parliament while the senior offices tried to calm down the workers through a discussion ended by delivering a memoir to a senior officer by the workers to be presented to the committee of complaints and recommendations in the parliament. The memoir included their demands of transferring the estate taxes body to the ministry of finance. Then it was reported that the voting on this memoir resulted in agreement on the workers demands by the members of parliament that happened in the session No. 71 of 19/5/1999.
Makram labib the head of the unionist committee of the workers in the body of estate taxes in Dakahlia province indicated it is since the issuing of the ministerial resolution No. 136 of 1974the workers if this body are deprived from the higher supervision positions. Where these positions have been confined only to the workers of the general council of the authority in Cairo while the experiences and efforts are really concentrated in the rural and provincial areas.
He also assured that the workers in Cairo are used to be rewarded by the Ministry that in the same time cut from the workers in the rural and provincial areas 500.000 workers in behalf of their own workers in Cairo who reach only 50.000.
In Kum-Umbo in Aswan province 1000 workers of the estate taxes body sent many complaints to the concerned officials because the damages affected them because the delay of executing the ministerial resolution that gave them a bonus of 25 of the basic value of salary. The reason of that delay was is that they already get 30 as return for the overtime they perform. As a response the workers threatened to go in a strike unless the rewards paid.
In the Ministry of Health on the other hand, a state of disapproval amongst 30.000 of workers in Behaira province because the directory in that area did not paid them the incentives of 25 that was prescribed by the Prime Minister.
In the Ministry of Irrigation in September 1999 and also in Al-Behaira province the workers in the directory of irrigation this area sent many complaints included their complaining from the delay of paying the prescribed rewards.
The arbitrary dismissal was also one of the several reasons that led to many protests in various provinces and authorities of government. As what happened in Beni Swaif province when the directory of education there decided to end the contracts of 52 teachers and administrative workers. Where the dismissed workers have sent urgent actions to the Ministry of Education and Prime Minister included their refusing to execute the decision of dismissal.
Even in the Faculty of Engineering in Tanta, 150 workers have sent a a collective protesting memoir in September 1999 to the Minister of High Education complained from the arbitrary decision made by the dean of faculty to dismiss under a pretext of rationalizing the expenditure.
B- Hungry Strike:
From the 140 protests witnessed in the governmental sector during the last six months of 1999, there were six hungry strikes monitored by LCHR. The reasons of this sort of strike were varied from the arbitrary transportation to other areas of work (four from six strikes) and the corruption in the other two strikes. In the City Council of Banha, for instance, a worker went in a hungry strike for seven days as protest against the arbitrary decision of transferring him to other area. The worker discovered that the decision was taken as revenge because he refused to participate in a case of corruption concerning selling of a plot owned to the city council in less than the real value of price.
While in Beni-Mazar in Menia a supervisor in the Thawra school went in a hungry strike protesting on the arbitrary decision of transferring him to another area, where the educative administration has interfered with some of security officers. The hungry strike resulted in canceling the decision of transferring.
In Menia Al-Kamh in Al-Sharkia province (a retarded) teacher went in a hungry strike also for a decision of transferring him to other area, where he refused to end the strike till he went in bad state and committed to the hospital.
In Al-Dilingat in Behaira province one of the administrative workers in the religious institute went in a hungry strike for the arbitrary decision taken to stop him from work. Where the strike lasted for more than six days and he refused to end it unless the decision canceled.
In the City Council of Motobus in Kafr Al-Shaikh, an engineer went in a hungry strike protesting on detaining him in the police station for a false accusation. Where he threatened to go on in the strike if the conderned officials listen to his position in concerning the various cases of corruption in the administration of inhabitance.
In Samalout in Menia province, more than 167 teachers of Arabic threatened to go in a strike for the decisions that taken to transfer them to another far area from their inhabitant area.
I Tanta more than 200 teachers gathered on the road of Monouf/ Tanta as a protest against the decisions of the director of school that obliged them to attend in the school from 4:00 to 6:00 P.M.
On the other hand and among the protests that witnessed during that period, there were many teachers in various places threatened to go in a strike for the low level of salary. Thus in Assiut, for instance more than 50 teachers threatened the administration and concerned officials to go in a strike protesting on the absence of incentives and rewards. Where the local council of Assiut province held a meeting in which they discussed the situation of teachers and recommended in the end the administration to interfere to end the crisis of those teachers.
In Al-Mahla Al-Kobra in November 1999 more than 2000 workers in the health administration threatened to go in a strike for the absence of incentives of 25 that prescribed by the Prime Minister as mentioned above.
Also in the first week of the last December in Al-Sadat city 250 workers of the city organization threatened to go in a strike for the arbitrary decisions with transferring them to other places.
C- The Sit-Down Strike:
There were three sit-down strikes, two of them done by the teachers and one done by the workers of estate taxes body. Thus in 15/7/1999 the workers of Misr AlKadima commission of taxes went on in the sit-down strike that lasted for a week because the arbitrary decisions that issued against five workers as well as the policy of cutting the rewards that the commissioner used to approach with them.
Concerning this specifically administration we would indicate that a big sector of the workers in the financial department are exposing to sever pressures such as the absence of incentives and the other privileges that their counterparts in similar administration get.
In September 1999, the workers in the assemblage of Al-Salam schools went in a sit-down strike before the building of Educative Administration of the province of Alex protesting on the decisions that damaged 60 teachers and administrative workers.
In September 1999 also the teachers of Dosouk in Kafr Al-Shaikh province went in a sit-down strike because the unpaid incentives of 25 that prescribed by the Prime Minister.
D- Demonstration.
Another shape of protest practiced in the governmental sector, where the physicians in Assiut Hospital walked in a demonstration protesting on the decision of the deputy of the Ministry of Health with transferring of a number of physicians to far areas.
On the other hand there were 65 doctors, after they demonstrated for three hours, intruded the building of the local council and threatened to go in a strike because they have not get their returns.
2- The protests of workers of the governmental economic authorities.
Workers in the various authorities practiced several shapes of protest during the covered period in this report as we see in the following:
In Cairo the engineer Khalid Abdel Hamid was went in a hungry strike in the headquarters of the (ETUF). Where he was discovered a case of corruption in the workshops of the Public Transportation Authority and asked for running an investigation where he presented some relevant reports but none of the officials listened to him.
In Al-Ghrbia the workers of Youth and Sports filed a complaint for the dealy of paying the incentives of 25prescribed by the Prime Minister. Where a state of disapproval prevailed amongst the workers because the deprivation of the incentives.
On the other hand, the Egyptian Company of Communication decided to increase the day work hours from six to seven hours, the decision caused a state of disapproval amongst the workers where the engineers and technical workers begun to collect signatures on a complaint that they sent to the officials.
In September, the foremen workers in the Underground Company went in a strike when they abstained from registering the fines of passengers. Protesting on the decision of the General Council of the authority according which they decreased the workers' share of the profit comes from the fines from 10 to 2 . While the share of directories and bosses increased from 2 to 10.
The striker workers assured that the aim of amending the distribution of earnings of fines is increasing the incentives and bonuses given to the directories and high ranks of workers.
In the economic authority for drinking water five workers went in a hungry strike protesting on the decision of the directory according which these five workers have been expelled from their houses.
In July 1999, the workers of the technical sector in Egypt Air company went in a comprehensive strike for the arbitrary policy that practiced by the directory concerning the incentives of the last year. The strikers, for note, were practiced several shapes of protest begun from filing complaints to threaten with strike and then they went in that strike. It was reported that the strike had caused a paralysis in the inner lines and some confusion in the out trips.
In October 1999, there were more than 1000 workers of the Railways Co. went in a sit-down strike protesting on the persecution to which the unionists exposed as well as the delay of giving them the prescribed incentives.
In Tanta, a state of disapproval prevailed amongst the workers of transportation sections because the directory decided to decrease the wages and returns they used to get from ŁE 35 to 9 during the last year.
In December 1999, more than 1500 workers of the cleaning authority in Cairo in the regions of Tibin and Hellwan went in a strike protesting on the decreasing of their wages. Where they demanded to get the prescribed returns for the nature of work and the cash return of the meals they do not take. It is worthy noting that the monthly incentives for the worker reaches only ŁE 6 while the arbitrary policy of directory was caused a state of disapproval amongst the workers led them to gather before the building of directory in Tibin.
Serial No. Month Place Reason Kind of protest 1 2
3
June
June
June
North of Sinai School
Office of Survey in Dakahlia
Authority of communication, Cairo
Incentives
Incentives
Incentives
Complaints
Complaints
Complaints
4
5
6
7
8
9
July
July
July
July
July
July
Office of Health in Dakahlia
Schools in Shubrs Al-Khaima
City Council of Banha
BeniMazar,
Authority of taxes, Misr Kadima,
Egypt Air, Cairo
Wages
Wages
Arbitrary transferring
Arbitrary transferring
Arbitrary transferring
Incentives
Complaints
Complaints
Hungry Strike
Hungry Strike
Sit-down Strike
Strike
10
11
12
August
August
August
Menia Al-Kamh, Sharkia
Drinking Water authority, Quena
Tanta, Gharbia
Arbitrary transferring
Home evacuation
Administrative decisions
Hungry Strike
Hungry Strike
Demonstration
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
September
September
September
September
September
September
September
September
September
September
September
September
Al-Salam Schools, Alex
Dosouk, Kafr Al-Shaikh
Underground Authority, Cairo
Al-Bayada School, Beni Swaif
Educative department in Giza
Port Said
Fayyum
Al-Tamia, Fayyum
Educative department, Beni Swaif
Faculty of Engineering, Tanta
Public Transportation Authority
Al-Khatara, Sharkia
Arbitrary transferring
Incentives wages
Incentives rewards
Incentives wages
Incentives wages
Incentives wages
Incentives wages
Incentives wages
Arbitrary transferring
Arbitrary transferring
Corruption
Wages
Sit-down strike
Sit-down strike
Hungry Strike
Complaints
Complaints
Complaints
Complaints
Complaints Complaints Complaints
Hungry Strike
Hungry Strike
25
26
27
28
29
30
October
October
October
October
October
October
Religious Institute in Dilingat
Motobus, Kafr Al-Shaikh
Samalout, Menia
Assiut hospitals
Youth authority workers, Gharbia
Railways
Dismissal
False accusation
Arbitrary dismissal
Arbitrary dismissal
Incentives and rewards
Wages
Hungry Strike
Hungry strike
Strike
Demonstration
Complaints
Sit-down strike
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
November
November
November
November
November
November
November
The health directory in Al-Mahla
Railways in Tanta
Teachers of Port Said
Estate Taxes Body in Dakahlia
Estate Taxes Bodyin Kum-Umbo
Health directory in Behaira
Department of Irrigation
Wage
Wages
Wages and rewards
Wages and rewards
Wages and rewards
Wages and rewards
Wages and rewards
Strike
Strike
Complaints
Complaints
Complaints
Complaints
Complaints
38
39
40
December
December
December
Teachers of Assiut
(ETUF), Cairo
Cleaning workers in Hellwan
Wages and rewards
Corruption
Wages
Strike
Hungry strike
Strike
The resource: Land Center for Human Rights
Table (5) the total number of protests in the governmental and economic authorities
Month/ protest Sit-down strike Hungry strike Strike Demonstration Others Total June - -
-
-
3
3
July 1 2
1
-
2
6
August - 2
-
1
-
3
September 2 2
1
-
7
12
October 1 2
-
1
2
6
November - -
1
-
6
7
December - 1
1
-
1
3
Total 4 9
4
2
21
40
The resource: Land Center for Human Rights
References
- The archive of Land Center for Human Rights
- Lawsuits files in LCHR
- The report of the situation of workers 1998/99 by LCHR
- The newspapers of Al-Ahram, Al-Akhbar, Al-Gomhoria, Al-Wafd, Al-Sha'b, Al-Arabi, Al-Hakika, Al-Lowa', Al-Raya Al-Mesria, Afak Arabia, Al-A'lm Alyoum, Al-Ahrar, Al-Khamis and Al-Ahali, in the period from 1/5/1999 to 31/12/1999.
Section three: the Industrial Private Sector in Egypt: Notes on the Situation of Workers.
"The 10th if Ramadan City an Example".
This section handles the situation of workers of the industrial sector particularly in some of the most important industries. Then it emphasizes on the situation of industry in the 10th of Ramadan City and finally presents the most important protests practiced by the workers of this sector particularly in the 10th of Ramadan City as example.
First: the Situation of Industrial Sector in Egypt.
The private industrial sector since 1980s has witnessed an unprecedented growth in all of its basic fields such as the industry of foods, clothes, cars, iron, electronics, etc. thus the share of investment allocated for industry has been raised from 15.9 in 1981 to 34.7 in 1990. Then the share was raised again from 45.9 in 1995 to reach 75 in 1996/97.
However, there has been some discripancy in this rise between the various fields as can be noted in concerning the share of investment in the field of Spinning and Weaving. Where it has been raised from 27.1 in 1980/81 to 34.3 in 1996/97, while during the same period, the investment in the industry of food has been decreased from 49.3 to 17.8.
In the meanwhile the share of investment in the engineering industry has been raised from 9 to 15.8, and the share of investment in industry of chemicals as well has been increased from 8.1 to 23.9.
In the same time the industry of cars has witnessed a great development during the mentioned period where now there are 15 factories with capital of about ŁE 6.1 billions added to 133 factories that service this industry with a capital of ŁE two billions. In this regard it is worthy mentioning that the industry of cars has employed about 100.000 workers from the mid of 1980s until the 1990s.
Thus in 1997 the General Authority of Investment has agreed upon establishment of new 23 factories of car industry with a value of investment reached ŁE one billion added to 113 factories of industries serve it with capital reached ŁE 943 millions. Where the number of cars that sold in 1995 has been reached 75.000 cars i.e. 55.000 more cars than the sells of 1994.
The industry of cars was established in origin on the base of participation of some local and foreign capitalists such as Abaza with Peague, Safik Gabr with Scoda, Ghabour with Hundai, Hossam AbulFotouh with BMW, etc.
No doubt that this development is referred in part to the cooperation between the new local industrial capitalism and the trading foreign capitalism who leaded the process of importance since 1970s who themselves leaded the process of industrialization in 1990s.
It is worth mentioning here that the new industrial growth has been centralized in the new industrial cities such as the 10th of Ramadan City, 6th of October, Al-Sadat, Borg Al-A'rab, Beni Swaif Al-Gadida (new), Badr, Al-Nobaria Al-Gadida. Until 30/6/1997 the number of factories in these new cities reached 1965 invest about ŁE 13.074 billions product what values annually ŁE 19.437 billions.
The number of workers in these factories according the formal statistics reaches about 226.000 workers. In the meanwhile in 30/6/1997 the number of factories under construction reached about 1101 factories invest about ŁE 5.080 billions produce what annually values ŁE 6.501 billions. In this date the number of workers reached about 70640 workers.
In addition, according the most recent figures mentioned in a talking run with the Minister of Population about these sectors through Al-Raya newspaper that was publicized in 30/3/2000 the total of investment in the new industrialized reached, in June 1999 about ŁE 16 billions and 552 millions.
In the same talking of the Minister he mentioned that the sector of infrastructure has placed the first rank among the other sectors, where the size of investment reached in this sector about ŁE 9 billions and 156 millions. About ŁE 4 billions and 15 millions for the projects of drainage and water, two billions and 894 millions for the electricity, two billions and 116 millions for the roads and communications, 131 millions for agriculture, two billions and 539 millions for the Mubark youth population project. While the sector of services come in the third rank where the values of investment in this sector reached about ŁE two billions and 237 millions.
The Minister of Population has also mentioned that the number of factories that have been established and entered the phase of production in the new industrialized cities had reached 2359 factories invest about ŁE 17.6 billions and annual production values ŁE 23.2.
These factories have provide about 227.000 job opportunities while the factories that still under construction are estimated with about 1698 invest about ŁE 5.8 billions. In the meanwhile the annual production is expected to reach ŁE 6.3 billions expected to provide 95 job opportunities.
The minister added that the new inhabited area has added about 500.000 acres to the inhabitant block in Egypt and that the project of new urban areas in the south of Egypt and Delta includes the establishment of 18 cities on 900.000 acres. 75.000 acres of this area is expected to include 3.3 million peoples by the year of 2017, while the value of expected investments until 2017 is about ŁE 33 billions.
The Minister in that taking has also assured that the number of new cities that are planned to be constructed reach about 69 cities and population blocks by the year of 2017.
Concerning the details of investments in the new industrialized cities, the city of 6th of October comes at the first rank according the statements of the officials. Where the engineer Hassan Abdel-Aziz the head of the city's organization mentioned that the size of investment in this city reaches about ŁE 2 billions for the drainage and water resources, 222 millions for the roads and communication, 515 millions for the electricity.
The mentioned city has also about 62.000 populations units and the size of investment in the field of services reaches about ŁE 217 millions, where the city includes now about 588 factories with a capital of ŁE 2.99 billions. These factories produce what annually values ŁE 5.7 billions and provide about 96.000 job opportunities. This in addition to the factories under construction with a capital of ŁE 2.37 billions and annual production expected to reach ŁE 3.37 billions include about 35.000 new job opportunities.
Meanwhile, the engineer M. Galal the head of Al-A'bour city's organization mentioned that the size of investment in that city reaches about ŁE two billions and 49 millions. About ŁE 49 of this amount millions for services and 626 millions for the population, whereas there are 25918 and 28 factories with a capital of ŁE 100 millions produce what annually values of this amount 150 millions.
This is in addition to the factories under construction that reach 338 factories with a capital of ŁE 544 millions while the expected annual production value is ŁE 150millions.
On the other hand the engineer M. Shehata the head of 10th of Ramadan City's organization assured that the size of investment reaches ŁE two billions and 514 millions, about ŁE 373 millions of this amount for population field and ŁE 80 millions for the services sector.
In Badr City the size of investment reaches about ŁE 692 millions according the statement of the engineer Ibrahim Shehata the head of the City's organization. This amount is distributed as follows, ŁE 261 millions for population, 10 millions for services, added to investment of ŁE 271 millions from 63 factories produce ŁE 197 millions annually. This is in addition to 144 factories under construction value ŁE 474 millions expected to produce about ŁE 442 millions provide 11.000 job opportunities.
In the city of Al-Shaikh Zaid, the size of investment as mentioned by the engineer Adel Reyad, reaches ŁE one billion and 297 millions, about ŁE 614 millions of this amount for population and 75 millions for services and the rest is distributed over the industries and infrastructure.
In Al-Nobaria Al-Gadida, the size of investment reaches ŁE 149.3 millions, 42 of them for electricity, 27 millions for water treatment and drainage, 18 millions for roads and communication, 20.3 millions for population, 28 millions for services.
In Assiut Al-Gadida, the size of investment reaches ŁE 97 millions, 45 millions of them for population, 13 millions for water, 9.5 millions for roads, 3.3 millions for electricity. The center of information of the New Urban Areas Authority mentioned that the number of new factories reaches 2302 factories invest about ŁE 18 millions and provide 230.508 job opportunities where the annual value of their production reaches ŁE two billions and 31 millions.
In this respect we have to indicate that the law No. 59 of 1979 gives the investor many privileges in the new industrialized cities proceeded those limited privileges that included in the law No. 43 of 1974.
It is worthy noting also that about 81 of the production of these new cities goes to the local market, while the phase of export is still very limited.
Secondly: the 10th of Ramadan City 'Example of the Situation of Private Sector in Egypt".
We choose this city to shed a light through which on the situation of the private sector in Egypt for its unique status amongst the industrialized new cities. Where it has about 41.6 of the total number of factories in the new industrialized areas while it produces about 54.5 of the total production of these areas. The number of workers in that city reaches about 58.9 of the total number of employment registered in the new industrialized areas.
The financial resources of the private sector in the cities can be divided into five major categories back to varius historical periods as we show in the following:
1st: the category of businessmen who accumulated their money in the Gulf Countries, this category includes the entrepreneurs and professionals. The investments of this category has been varied between industry of carpets, clothes, furniture and the industry of chemicals, domestic articles and materials of construction.
2nd, the category of technicians and bureaucratic officials that were held leadership positions during the period of 1960s who made use of the beginning of integration between the Egyptian economy and world market in the beginning of 1970s. The investments of this category has been directed towards the industry of textile, sanitary tools and chemicals and it mostly distinguished with common contribution of the Arab and foreign capitals.
3rdly: Egyptian businessmen continued since the 1960s and could achieve a role and status in the current economy, where it can be divided into sub-categories:
(1) Merchants whose activities have been concentrated on the clothes and textiles.
(2) Owners of small and middle industries and craftsmen whose investments have been concentrated on the industry of tannery, clothes, textiles, furniture, sweets, water pumps, leathers, tissues, house tools, cleaning necessaries and packaging necessaries.
4thly: the trading agents and importers in the 1970s who utilized from the period of open-door policy, their activities are concentrated on the spare parts of cars, paints, tools and electric necessaries.
5thly: businessmen of the second generation, whose activities are concentrated on the engineering industries, spare parts, metals, tannery and furniture.
On the other hand in her study about the "Capitalism of 10th of Ramadan City: the New Industrial Capitalism". "Dina Galal" indicated that the capitalism of this new industrial area includes some capitalist that could got the privilege of practicing the trading with the Soviet Union in the epoch of 1960s and 1970s through the protocol made by the Egyptian state in that period.
The study sees that the private sector in this city was not born as industrial capitalism, thus except for some businessmen who accumulated their money in the Gulf Countries, all the capitalists have taken a traditional way in their activities. It means that they begun with free trading activities then transferred to the industrial activity while some of them stayed in the old activity simultaneous with the new one.
But however, the capitalism of the 10th of Ramadan City is by no means a pure capitalism where it gathers between the industrial, trading and financial activities.
On the other hand, the Familial discourse considers a dominant system although the tendency towards transferring some of the private companies into sharing companies but until now we find that this tendency is confined mostly to some relatives and brothers such as Lahin, Ghabour, Blidi and Abdel Daim families.
In the following we present some notes on the sectors in which the industries are concentrated in this city and the size of Arab and foreign capital that contribute to them.
1- The situation of workers and distribution of investments in the various sectors in the 10th of Ramadan City.
The 10th of Ramadan City was the first of industrial new cities that established according the Resolution No. 149 of 1977, the law No. 59 of the 1979 and the Republican Resolution No. 97 of 1980. Where the establishment of this city was begun in February 1978 with construction of a market, schools mosque, and two buildings.
According the statistics of 13/1/1994 the total of investment in the city reached about ŁE 6.146 billions from the production of 644 factories, while the number of workers that were formally registered in that time reached about 81.000. In the meanwhile the number of factories under construction were about 344 factories which production value expected with ŁE 7.2 billions. And in that date also the number of Arabian and foreign projects (with Egyptian contribution) reached 102 projects included 26 Arabian and foreign nationalities, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan, USA, France and Japan were the most important of them.
These projects have also included pure foreign capital such as the project of Japanese Medicines of Japan, Arab International Co. for Industrial Development of Syria, Arma for Food Industries of Yemen, International and Safola for Food Products of Saudi Arabia.
The number of workers in that projects with pure and common capital reached about 14893, and the value of investment proceeded ŁE 1.2 billions. Until that date also, the total number of industrial projects was distributed over ten sectors or (divisions), and according the capital of investor the varied industries (includes small and medium projects that complement another industries) placed the first rank. Where the size of investment in these industries reached ŁE 1.508 billions (about 24.5 of the total investment distributed over 171 establishments. The value of these establishments' annual production reached ŁE 1.426 billions (19 of the total production in the country).
These industries for mention have included about 9843 workers (about12 of the total workers in the country). The average annual wages of these workers reached about ŁE 17.701 billions (in a monthly rate about ŁE 150).
The sector of spinning and weaving placed the second rank among the available industries, where the investment in it reached ŁE 1.49 billions (19.6 of the national annual total production). This industry included about 21910 workers (27 of the total workers) with annual average of wage reached ŁE 39.438 (ŁE 150 monthly wage for individual).
The sector of electric and engineering industries placed the third rank with total investment reached at that time ŁE 750 millions (12 of the investment value) distributed over 54 factories. The annual production of these industries reached ŁE 875 millions (12.1 of the annual production of these industries in the country). These industries, in other hand, included about 10580 workers (31 of the total employment) their average annual wages were about ŁE 19.101 millions (the same monthly average of ŁE 150).
The industry of Foods placed the fourth rank according the size of investment that reached in that time to ŁE a billion and 744 millions (10.4 of the total value of investment) distributed over 65 factories. The annual production value reached ŁE 893.054 millions (12.4 of the total annual national production of this industry). These industries included about 7931 workers (9.8 of the total employment) their wages reached annually of ŁE 14.28 millions (at the same monthly rate of ŁE150).
The sector of chemicals and medicine industries placed the fifth rank according the size of investment that reached ŁE a billion and 579 millions (9.4 of the total investment) distributed over 37 factories. The annual value of its production reached ŁE 753.015 millions (10.4 of the total annual production) included about 8670 workers (10.7 of the total employment). These employment's annual wage reached about ŁE 15.606 millions (the same monthly average of ŁE 150).
Concerning this specific sector of chemicals and medicine industries during the period between 1994 and 1998 the components of this picture has been changed. Where the formal sources of information mentioned that in 30/9/1998 the investments in this sector reached about 30.3 of the total value of investments in the country, and the number of factories as well was increased from 37 to 57 factories. While the size of employment was decreased by 2.75 times (from 8670 to 3185 workers), it means that about 5000 workers in this sector were left it.
While, on the other hand, the sector of spinning and weaving has kept its second rank amongst the other industries, where the size of investment has been increased by three times during the mentioned period. Thus is the value of investment in this sector has been represented 20.8 of the total investments compared with 17.1 in the beginning of 1994.
The number of factories has also increased from 94 to 144, while the value of annual production has increased from ŁE 1.417 billion to 2.493 billions (18.3 of the total value of annual production compared with 19.6 in 1994). The number of workers in the other hand has been increased in this industry from 21910 to 42568 represent about 33 of the total employment compared with 27 in 1994. The wages paid for these workers reached about ŁE 98.6 millions annually (the individual wage reached ŁE175 monthly).
Concerning the Food Industry that placed the fourth rank among the other industries until 1994, it placed the third one in the period between 1994-1998. Where it achieved what values ŁE 1.841 billions that represented about 12.1 of the total value of investments compared with 10.4 in 1994. While the number of factories ha been increased from 65 factories to 107 and the annual production as well has been increased from 12.4 to 1.13 of the total annual production of various industries.
The umber of workers in this industry has also increased from 7931 to 11331 shaped about 10.4 of the total employment. The wages of these workers has been valued ŁE 33.506 millions. In this respect it is worthy noting that the sector of industries is the most one that depends on the daily work of children and women.
The industry of plastics bounced to the fourth rank with total value of investment reached ŁE 1.446 billions i.e. the value has been trial folded in the mentioned. The value of annual production has been increased as well from ŁE 712 millions to 1.045 billion. While in concerning the number of workers has been slightly increased (only from 9028 to 9800) i.e. the percentage of employment in this industry has been decreased from 1.11 to 7.6 compared with the total employment. While the wages has been decreased from 11.3 to 7.9 compared with the total value of annual average.
The sector of Electrical and Engineering industries its rank lowed from the third to fifth rank according the value of investment. The value of annual production on the other hand has been increased from ŁE 1.875 billions to ŁE 4.181 billion despite the percentage to the total average of production has been decreased from 12.1 to 10.4. The number of workers in this industry has been increased as well from 10580 to 18331 workers (i.e. from 13.1 to 14.2 of the total employment).
2- The Arab and Foreign Capitals in the 10th of Ramadan City.
According the most recent statistics, the total value of Arab and foreign investments in this industrial area reached about 9 of the total investment value in this area. These investments are distributed over 1331 projects include about 13 of the total employment that work in that area, while the annual value of production of these projects reached about 15 of the total annual production in the area.
The Saudi Arabia places the first rank according the value of investments, where it shapes about fifth of the total value of Arab and foreign investments includes about 19 of the total employment in these projects, while the value of annual production reaches about 21 of the total annual production.
The Kuwaiti investments places the second rank with about 12 of the total value of investments includes about 8 of the total employment and produces about 7 of the total annual production of the projects established on Arab and foreign capitals.
The Italian investments place the third rank with about 10 of the total investment in the city, where the Italian projects include about 10 of the total employment produce about 20of the total annual production.
The Yemeni investments place the fourth rank with about 8 of the foreign investment include about 2.7 of employment produce about 13.1 of the value of annual production.
The Japanese investments in the fifth rank with 7 of the total foreign investments includes 3 of the total employment of these projects while the value of annual production reaches 1 of these projects' annual production.
It is worthy mentioning, in this regard, that despite the Palestinian places the sixths rank with a value of investments reaches about ŁE 96.312.000, these investments increased during the period between 1994-1999 at rate of 18. While the number of workers in the Palestinian projects increased in the mentioned period with about 26 while the value of annual production increased with 32 compared with value in 1994.
Thirdly: Reading in the Protests of Workers in the Private Sector.
During the second half of 1999, the workers of the private sector practiced their own rights in initiating various shapes of protest on the different administrative authorities as we see in the following:
1- Complaints
Although filing the complaints considers the simplest shape of protest, it was widely used by the workers of private sector which refers mainly to the weak and sometimes absence of the unions and organizations through which they can preserve their own rights. Particularly in the new industrial areas that include more that 250.000 workers work in the productive sector added to about 100.000 other workers work in other sectors.
However, the filing of complaints as a shape of protest has not been confined only to the workers of these new areas but rather it extended to include many other areas as we see in the following.
In Cairo, in September 1999, five citizens sent many complaints to the authorities demanded to release their sons who work in service of an Arabian prince that stays in Hilton. Where a number of Egyptians were detained in the 29th floor in Hilton Hotel by the bodyguards of this prince, while they tried severally to send messages for help hidden them in the garbage of that prince's family. And despite the efforts that exerted for releasing these persons the prince refused to respond to the calls of relatives of these workers.
The authorities was not firm with this issue because, as some officials said, it is sensitive issue that can effect the situation of tourism. Thus instead summoning the prince for investigation the security forces send some representatives for negotiate with him to release the workers.
The relatives of workers on the other hand threatened to go in hungry strike until death if the authorities do not end the detaining of these workers whose health state has been deteriorated very much in the private prison of prince.
In Al-Fayyum, in 28/9/1999, 65 workers in the factory of Al-Pharana (Pharos) for Ceramic sent a collective complaint to the Ministry of Work Force, protesting on the arbitrary decisions of the management concerning dismissing them. And also the absence of meal or the return of it that described by the concerned authorities. But the work force did not respond to the complaint and demanded them to resort to the judiciary.
In 15/9/1999, the management of Ghabour Consortium decided to dismiss 250 workers from the company of Egypt of Industrializing the Vehicles, where the management was tried to decrease the incentives to move the workers on leaving the work. But when this way failed, the management resorted to press on the workers for moving them on presenting their resignation but the workers refused that. Where the management resort, in the end, to the arbitrary decisions that affected 350 workers who sent many complaints to the office of work force. The office assured that the dismissal is illegal because the trail committee has not ratified the decision as prescribed in the regulation of private sector as mentioned above.
The complaints sent by the workers in the 10th of Ramadan City were varied as following:
The number of complaints that filed in the private sector of this city ranged between 20 and 40 individual complaint added to at least one collective compliant a week during the period covered by the report.
The complaints that based on arbitrary dismissal placed the first rank between the other kinds of complaints. Thus in the Food industry, for example, the end of season of fruits cropping used to be accompanied with individual and collective dismissal. In this regard it is worthy noting that a little percentage of the workers expose to dismissal resist the decision through the complaints while the rest of dismissed workers who are mostly of the temporary insured employment try to search for a new job in other company.
Concerning the collective complaints, that are usually related to labor demands such as wages and incentives, the number of them that transfer to the court, according the offices of work power is very little. In this regard it was reported that the collective complaints used to reapeted in some specific factories such as "Milky Land", "Aura Misr", "Al-Shanty Rafia", "AL-Shanty for Agricultural Necessaries", where the main reason of these complaints is the delay of paying the workers the wages or incentives.
2- Strikes and other shapes of protest
In the company of light bulb in, the 10th of Ramadan City, that includes about 600 workers, the new management begun its work with eliminating the incentives that were prescribed under the old management. The workers in turn went in a strike for one day through which they succeeded in enforcing the management on paying the incentives. The company was owned before to Abdel Latif AlSharif then it appropriated by the General Prosecutor and sold later to a big businessman whose managed approached a new policy with the workers and disassociate the union committee.
In the Egyptian Company for Ispestos Products, that includes about 120 workers the union committee has also disassociated while the management in May 1999 abstained from paying the workers' share of 10 of profits. The issue that made the workers went in a sit-down strike in first of June for two days and after the negotiation with them the management promised to pay the profits in installments.
In Jacub Dilaphone Co. for Production of Water Mixer that includes about 160 workers and has a union committee that is sympathized with the management, the last decided in April 1999 to correlate the wage with production while it does work for decreasing the production. The management, on the other hand, eliminated the incentive of ŁE 200 that used to be paid annually to workers. Although the workers raised complaints and went in a strike during last June the management did not eliminate its decision
In the meanwhile, the companies owners used to follow many tricks for tax evasion, where with the approaching of the end tax exemption period, the investor hurries in sell the company or changes its activity to make use as long as possible of the period of tax exemption. As exactly what happened in Rafia Co. when the management disassociate the company without paying any compensation to the workers. The issue that moved the workers to go in a sit-down strike inside the factory in July 1999, while eight worker women went in a hungry strike for tow days.
The strike was a reaction on the decision taken by the management with closing the factory and dismissal of workers, where the strike ended after the general trustee of General Union of Chemicals interfered and promised the workers to resolute the problem and asked them to restore to the court. It was reported that the owner was sent a request in February 1999 to eliminate the activity and dismissing the workers but the request was refused because his profits proceeds ŁE 50 millions annually and the percentage of export reached 75of the production.
The union committee in this company, on the other hand, was issuing an inside bulletin named Al-Wa'y Al-O'Mali (labor awareness). In which the committee used to praise the management that in the end disassociated the committee and beaten the head of it and attacked the delegation of the General Union of Chemicals.
In this regard it worthy noting that Al-Shanti has followed that same manner with the workers that he used before in the Al-Aksa for Shoses Co. that he sold and dismissed its workers. This time the protest of workers in Raifa was not stopped, where in 28/7/1999 about 270 workers massed before the building of Ministry of Work Power protesting on the lost of their rights.
Thus the workers were got checks signed by the owner of the factory after he closed the factory and when they went to the bank for get their money they discovered that they had uncovered checks and then they knew that Al-Shanti has left abroad.
In other company of Al-Shanti, the Modern Agricultural Necessaries/ Bak, the work owner follows the same policy with the workers. Where he used to delay the payment of salaries for the next month to move them on leaving the work without any compensation. The size of employment in this company reached about 320 workers during the last three years besides the temporary and casual employment. Now there are no but 120 workers most of them spent more than 10 years in his company despite he used to allege that the company does loose for closing it while reopens it under new name with new activities.
On the other hand the protests have been varied over different places in Egypt in the sector of private professional sector as follows.
In Al-Borolus in Kafr Al-Shaikh division, 50 workers went in a hungry strike in 7/6/1999 protesting on the continuity of the governorate that supports the big landowners who had seized wide areas in Al-Behaira and deprived the fishermen from fishing. Where more than 100 fishermen directed in a marshal demonstration to the hospital of Kafr Al-Shaikh, where 50 of them went in a hungry strike until the governorator take a decision let them practice their right in fishing.
In Kafr Al-Shaikh also, nine drivers were went in a hungry strike protesting on the arbitrary decision that the administration of traffic made to stop the cars. The strikers mentioned that this situation does threaten them and their families with many problems because they have to pay the installments of the cars and they mentioned that they would not leave the place unless the governorator meet them.
Some workers in Cairo-Paris Bank, Cairo, threatened to go in a sit-down strike for the administrative decisions that decrease their financial earnings. The administration of this bank had cut from the income for the Colleagues Fund they established.
Some other workers in the private sector had practiced a special kind of protest represented in abstaining from taking their salaries for the arbitrary decisions that decreased their financial earnings. Thus in Menia for example, in 18/11/1999 the workers of Al-Wadi Cotton Ginning Co. refused to take their salaries because the unfair treatment in concerning the incentives and wages they get against the great efforts they exert in the company.
There were other more positive shapes of protest practiced by the workers of this sector in various places such as massing, sit-down striking and work strike. Thus in 14/9/1999, more than 120 truck drivers went to gather before the building of traffic administration in Fayed for the decision taken by this administration with lowing the load capacity of trucks which affected the value of profit of transportation.
In Al-Oxur, in 25/12/1999, the drivers gathered before the building of the People and Local Council because the last refused to agree on issuing licenses for the new taxi cars.
In 15/11/1999, the workers of Al-Arabia for Materials of Construction gathered in a demonstration demanding their rights in getting a bonus of 20 of the basic value of salary where the administration agreed on their demands.
The service cars have also practiced the strikes protesting against the administrative decisions of traffic and also the unfair fines with which they affected without real reasons. Thus in Beni- Swaif in 18/811999, about 200 of drivers in the factory of Beni Swai went in a strike for the fines imposed against them for the infringement of load limits.
In Zefta, Al-Gharbia, in 30/11/1999, about 50 drivers went in a strike for the random decisions, as they mentioned, that thee traffic department made to move the station out the city of Tanta. Thus the drivers mentioned that the new place lacks to the inner lines of transportation and the leading roads are very bad.
In 5/6/1999, the station of taxi and services car witnessed a limited strike for the arbitrary decision with moving the station to far place lack to the essential services.
In 23/10/1999, dozens of workers in the Korean Dislim Co. went in a sit-down strike for the company dismissed them and replaced them with Korean workers.
In Hurghada, bout 800 workers and officials in Sheraton went in a sit-down strike in 13/9/1999, for the arbitrary dismissal to which they exposed after the company has been owned to the Saudi Company for investment.
In 18/6/1999, in Al-Zawia Al-Hamra, Cairo, about 500 workers in the Ecleric Spinning Co. went in a sit-down strike for the decisions taken by the administration with dismissal of them. The administration tried to end the strike but the workers refused, then big numbers of security forces attended to the company to enforce the workers on leaving the place. And when the workers went to the company after a couple days they found the company is cordoned with great number of security forces. Where they decided to go the people assembly and the office of work power.
In Kafr Al-Dawar, Al-Behaira province, about 63 workers in Al-Samodi Factory for Packaging the Vegetables went in a strike in 2/12/1999 for the decision taken for eliminating the overtime. He workers had sent many complaints to the work power office but they did not get any response, which led them went in a sit- down strike before the office of work power. For note, about a half of these workers are females and they were serious and insisted on continue in the strike until they get their rights.
In Al-Mohandis National Co. for Food Industry in Ismailia, by the last of June 1999, about 300 workers went in a strike for the arbitrary policy of management that refuse to ratify on establishing of the union committee.
Table (6) places and reasons of protests that practiced by workers of the private sector in the second half of 1999
Serial No. Month Place Reason Kind of protest 1 2
June
June
Taxi drivers in Dekernis, Dakahlia
Arab American Co. Cairo
Maltreatment
Arbitrary dismissal
Hungry Strike
Sit-down strike
3
4
5
6
July
July
July
July
Kafr Al-Shaikh Hospital
Traffic authority in Kafr Al-Shaikh
Cairo- Paric Bank, Cairo
Al-Mohandis Co. Ismailia
Depriving from fishing
Stopping the cars
Payments
Absence of union
Hungry Strike
Hungry Strike
Threaten
Hungry strike
7
August
Trucks drivers in Beni Swaif
Administrative decisions
Strike
8
9
10
11
September
September
September
September
Ciramic Al-Pharana, Fayyum
Hilton Hotel, Cairo
Trucks drivers in Fayed
Sheraton Hurghada, Sinai
Arbitrary dismissal
Detaining workers
Decreasing the load
Arbitrary dismissal
Complaints
Sit-down strike
Srike
Sit-down strike
12
October
Desim Korean, Alex
Arbitrary dismissal
Sit-down strike
13
14
15
16
November
November
November
November
Ghabour Co. Cairo
Alwadi for cotton ginning Co.
Al-Arabia for Reconstruction Co.
Drivers in Zefta Gharbia
Arbitrary dismissal
Rewards and incentives
Bonus
Moving the station
Complaints
Strike
Demonstration
Strike
17
18
December
December
Alsamodi Factory in Kafr Aldwar
Microbuses drivers in Oxur
Wages and rewards
Agreement on license
Strike
Strike
Total
18 protests
The resource: Land Center for Human Rights
Table (7) protests of workers of the 10th of Ramadan City
Serial No. Month Place Reason Kind of protest 1 June Light bulbs Co. Dismissal
Strike
2 June
Al-Mesria for Ispetos Products
Disassociation
Strike
3
June
Jacub Blaphone
Lowing the production
Strike
4
July
Milky Land Co. Wages
Collective complaints
5 August Rafia Disassociation
Hungry strike
6
November Agricultural Necessaries C. Delay of salaries
Complaints
Total 6 protests
The table does not include hundreds of complaints filed in that period but the Center could not document them.
The resource: Land Center for Human Rights
Table (8) the total number of protests in the private sector
Month/ protest Sit-down strike Hungry strike Strike Demonstration Others Total June 1 3
1
-
-
5
July - 2
1
-
2
5
August - 1
1
-
-
2
September 2 -
1
-
1
4
October 1 -
-
-
-
1
November - 1
-
1
3
5
December - -
2
-
-
2
Total 4 7
6
1
6
24
The resource: Land Center for Human Rights
References
1- New of 10th of Ramadan City the issues from 1 to 11 July 1999
2- Directory of 10th of Ramadan City issued by the Organization of the City 1999.
3- The Conditions of Environment in the 10th of Ramadan City a report issued by LCHR.
4- Interviews with some officials in the work offices and the organization of city.
5- Dina Galal: the Capitalism of 10th of Ramadan City: the New Industrial Capitalism.
6- The archive of Land Center for Human Rights
7- Lawsuits files in LCHR
8- The newspapers of Al-Ahram, Al-Akhbar, Al-Gomhoria, Al-Wafd, Al-Sha'b, Al-Arabi, Al-Hakika, Al-Lowa', Al-Raya Al-Mesria, Afak Arabia, Al-A'lm Alyoum, Al-Ahrar, Al-Khamis and Al-Ahali, in the period from 1/5/1999 to 31/12/1999.
Section four: Final Notes
Despite all that procedures that the sate waged and implemented for disassociate the companies of the public sector it could not achieved the process properly. Where the necessary investment has not yet reach to the entire sectors whether the industrial, agricultural or other sectors for employing the workers. This is despite all the guarantees and privileges that the state gave to investors that included the tax exemption, cheap employment that work in absence of any legal protection, etc.
There are still more than two hundred companies offered for purchase while the businessmen are also still disable to market, export or compete with the world markets. The order that entice us search for the necessary solutions away from disarming the workers from their rights because if we would do that those policies would fail again and again in reaching their planned aims.
No doubt that the desire of evading this crisis and the implementation of that policies appropriately without more deterioration of the social situation of people does oblige us to respect the human rights as mentioned and ratified through the various conventions and covenants. Thus the liberal economic policy should be accompanied with the appropriate political climate in which any rightly violated worker can express on his/ her problem.
The government has to provide the proper atmosphere for workers to practice their rights such the right to protest what ever the shape of this protest.
In this respect we have to mention that the issuing of this report is simultaneous with the discussion about the draft law of the Unified Work Law. The law that does equal between the workers of both the private, public and investment sector despite all the differences between each of other. Particularly the state has not achieved its plans in disassociate and reconstruction of these sectors to be consistent with what it desires of changes.
But in implementing these plans the state excludes the social effects on the labor and the poorer classes and prefer to go on in issuing the various laws that easing the process of privatization and reconstruction without the effects on the workers.
It worthy noting that the story of issuing this law date back to the end of 1970s. When the government of Egypt asked the General Director of the ILO to dispatch a mission of experts for studying the strategy of work and the economic growth and the employment and justice in the time of peace.
The Developmental Program of UN in that time agreed to fund the project that its specifications were documented in a formal document. Signed in 28/7/1979 by both the Minister of Work Power Sa'd M. A. for the government of Egypt and the representatives of ILO and the developmental program in UN. Where the main and strategic target of this project was to enable the Egyptian economy to be developed in a socially fair and productive way.
The mission that headed by the professor Beneat Hanson and Dr. Smair Radwan was ended its task with a final report presented to the government of Egypt in 25/9/1981 under the title of "Work and Social Justice in Egypt, a study in the work market".
But with the serial of laws that the government begun to launch and reached its peak in September 1981, the committee of experts in UN committed sever notes to the government. One of these laws that criticized by this committee was the law of presenting the nominees of election to the General Prosecutor and the Work Law No. 137 of 1981. In this respect the committee of experts pointed to the necessities of issuing a new work law to replace the law No. 137 to be consistent with the economic and social changes to which the report of mission had indicated.
The committeee did start the work in the alternative law from 1986 and continued until the beginning of 1990s. Then a technical committee headed by Dr. a. Hassan Al-Boraa'y the head of Social Legislation in Faculty of Law and Khaled Taher Al-Wakil first deputy of the Ministry of Work Power
And included many professors of law to formulate the draft law. The draft law that resulted has exposed to the widest criticizes that ever directed to a law taken about six years and still under discussion.
Thus the law had been a reason and base of many studies and reports concerning the clauses and articles of it, the Land Center for Human Rights has also issued several reports about this issue the most important of them are:
- The conditions of Workers in Egypt in 1998.
- The situation of Workers in Egypt during the first half of 1999.
- The situation of Worker Woman in the Egyptian Rural Areas.
- The Situation of Human rights in Egypt under the new extension of the emergency Law.
In this respect we would like that in addition to the mentioned notes, the new law does give the owner of industrial institution to increase the work hours from seven to eight hours daily without any compensation or rewards.
The law does also include the elimination of the casual (paid) vacation and also the elimination of the paid vacation for women who are pregnant for the third time which considers a flagrant violation to the woman worker rights.
The law has also included a strange stipulation that absolutely prohibits the workers of the governmental authorities from practicing the strike. But in the same time the law does not include the way through with these workers can get their violated rights by the owners and management of work. This is despite the government of Egypt has been a part to the convention of workers right to strike and the Egyptian judiciary has once judged (in the case of workers of railways) with the legality of strike.
The law does also give the work owner the right to arbitrarily dismiss the worker after it eliminating the trial committee that was before should ratify on the decision. Despite the trial committee was not active in defending the rights of workers but however it was a procedural obstacle against the arbitrary of work owner in dismissing the workers. For this reason the committee has been eliminated in the new law and replaced with one of five members just to search in the compensation for the dismissed workers.
Land center on the other hand does see that the new law has many contradictory articles and stipulations that should be reviewed in concerning the rights of workers in the governmental and economic authorities. Where many of the governmental workers and officials have protested on the policies and arbitrary decisions that practiced against them by the management and owners under this unfair legal situation.
The Land Center in this respect hopes the authorities to take these notes and the recommendations that brought in the previous reports and other studies into consideration. That handled the situation of workers as mentioned in this report in order to guarantee their rights that included in the Egyptian constitution and all the international covenants of human rights as well as the covenants of international lab
Section five: various tables
Table (9) the total number of protests during the period from1/6/1999 to 31/12/1999
Month/ protest Sit-down strike Hungry strike Strike Demonstration Others Total June 1 3
1
-
3
8
July 2 5
3
-
6
16
August 4 3
1
1
3
12
September 4 3
2
-
12
21
October 2 3
3
2
2
12
November 1 2
2
1
10
16
December 1 2
3
-
1
7
Total 15 21
15
4
37
92
The resource: Land Center for Human Rights
Table (10) the total protests practiced during 1999
Month/ protest Work strike Sit-down strike Demonstration Others Total January 7 9
1
6
23
February 4 4
2
5
15
March 4 1
5
4
14
April - 1
4
2
7
May 1 2
2
8
13
June 4 1
-
3
8
July 8 2
-
6
13
August 4 4
1
3
12
September 5 4
-
12
21
October 6 2
2
2
12
November 4 1
1
10
16
December 5 1
-
1
17
Total 52 32
18
62
164
The resource: Land Center for Human Rights
Table (11) the total number of protests in the period between 1/12/1998 to 30/5/1999
Month/ protest Work strike Sit-down strike Demonstration Others Total December 5 -
-
2
9
January 7 9
1
6
23
February 4 4
2
5
15
March 4 1
5
4
14
April - 1
4
2
7
May 1 2
2
8
13
Total 21 19
14
27
81
The resource: Land Center for Human Rights
Table (12) the total protests practiced from January 1998 to November 1998
Month/ protest Work strike Sit-down strike Demonstration Hungry strike or abstaining from taking the salaries Others January 2 4
4
February 2 1
2
March 2 4
April 1 1
5
May 5 1
1
5
June 2 2
2
5
July 2 2
1
2
4
August 4 1
3
2
5
September 3 7
2
7
October 2 1
2
November 8 4
2
Total 33 18
14
7
42
The resource: Land Center for Human Rights
Board of Trustees * Dr. Mahmoud Elsaqqa
professor of law at C.U
Dr. Adel Eid
Lawyer
* Dr. Fathy Abdel Fatah
Prof. of Social Scie.
head of Info Res. Center.
Gomhurya News.
* Dr. Ibrahim Abaza
Prof. of Economics at C.U
* Dr. Albeir Beshara
Prof. of Agricultural Eco.
Director of Ago. Res. C.
* Dr. M. El-Desouki
Prof. of Psycho- Science- STAFF
* Karam Saber
Executive Manager
* Mahmoud Gabr
Legal Unit Officer
* Rabie Wahba
Int. Relations Officer
* Hisham Abdel Halim
Field Work Officer
* Abdel Moula M.
Researches Unit Officer
* Khalil Abo Alhassan
Researcher
* Manar Mohammed
Researcher
* Emad Abo Zaid
Researcher
* Ashraf Saad Aziz
Lawyer
* Wae'l M. Abdo
Lawyer
* Yehia hassan
Lawyer
* Khaled Farag
Lawyer
* Nargis Fayez
Lawyer
* Nader Abdel Wahab
Lawyer
* Madiha Sayed Ali
Executive SecretaryTHE AIMS
*To provide legal protection against maltreatment for children working in agriculture.* To contribute in improvement of works conditions in Egyptian rural areas.
*To support farmers or agricultural workers unions and organization.
*To generalize and provoke public opinion around issues of social interest such as the consequences of the law No. 96 of 1992, the problems suffered by workers, women and children in the agricultural sector and the absence of social security, labor contracts, unions, etc.
*To establish strong bonds with local and international organizations who interest themselves in human rights activity.
THE ACTIVITIES
*The Legal Advocacy against: all forms of discrimination, violence, maltreatment, and torture that the farmers, farmer labors, children and women may expose to in the rural areas.
*Monitoring all the human rights violations that occur in the rural areas, particularly in concerning of the right to health care, house, work, and clean environment.
*Issuing the reports and studies that demonstrate the conditions of the farmers in the rural areas in order to contribute to creating an appropriate legislative structure in line with the rules of the constitution and the international covenants of human rights.
*Developing the citizens' consciousness about their human rights through issuing the following series: "Reports of the Economic and Social Rights" - "Land and Farmer" - Humanistic Concepts - and "Your Legal Rights".
*Establishing a network of volunteers and training them on working in the field of human rights.
1. The term of Works Sector includes the various governmental authorities such as the Public Transportation Company, Suez Canal, and the military production which do not submit to thew law No. 203 of 1991.
2. The Economic Authority is determined according whether products income or not, not according its function in society.
Land Center for Human Rights established in December 1996.
122 Galaa' St., Borg Ramsis Building, 7th floor, Ramsis Sq., Cairo Egypt.
(202) 5750470
202) 5750470
lchrthewayout.net
This document is published online by Derechos Human Rights