On Labor Day, President Sisi directs government to expedite finalization of National Employment Strategy

CAIRO -1 May 2022: On Labor Day, which falls on May 1, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi announced that he has directed the government to speed up the finalization of the National Employment Strategy (NES) to create new job opportunities compatible with the labor market for youth.

“This strategy will be compatible with the new reality of the labor market, keeping pace with the sudden economic and technological changes, and dealing effectively with future jobs,” said President Sisi in a speech on Sunday.

The president added that Egypt celebrates Labor Day with the aim to learn about the progress made by loyal workers in building the new republic.

“We look to the future of our children with a new spirit that is full of hope and we work in unity.  Working in unity builds nations and establishes civilizations,” said President Sisi.
 

President Sisi stated that the labor sector has been gravely affected by multiple crises, such as the Coronavirus pandemic, as millions of workers lost their jobs and new emerging patterns of work have entirely depended on modern technology. He explained that the state, for this reason, paid more attention to digital transformation.

President Sisi further noted that the state has provided the necessary support and social protection system, such as giving financial grants to irregular workers, empowering them economically, creating appropriate job opportunities, and working to integrate them into the formal sector. The wages of regular workers in companies that suffer financial hardships have also been paid through a subsidy fund.

“We did not relent in supporting business owners and issued a package of exemptions and monetary advantages to alleviate the burden off their shoulders until we managed to overcome this crisis, showing robustness and resilience,” the President stressed.

Besides the coronavirus crisis, the recent developments of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine had a great impact on the global economy, and consequently on Egypt’s economy. That is why the state had taken  precautionary decisions to protect the Egyptian economic system from imbalances. 

Furthermore, President Sisi said the successive achievements and giant projects that have been implemented in Egypt over the past 7 years have become a major reason for withstanding all challenges and crises. He clarified that these projects targeted achieving a decent life for every Egyptian citizen first and foremost. “We are entering an important stage of work and production to reach new horizons for the future of our dear country… Human capital has always been the core of development. So, we have decided to invest in developing the Egyptians' skills, professional abilities, knowledge and awareness,” he added.

President Sisi also clarified that Egypt has made remarkable reforms in the vocational training and technical education system, in accordance with international quality standards. “We also gave directives for the training services to reach the Egyptian villages through mobile training units across the country, under the umbrella of the ‘Decent Life’ Initiative, to improve daily services offered to citizens and provide job opportunities in small and medium enterprises,” he said.

To lower the unemployment rate, President Sisi pointed out that the state has expanded mega national projects, and established the Medium, Small & Micro Enterprise Development Agency (MSMEDA) to motivate youth to start their projects, developing preparatory and training programs for job seekers.

“To ensure this will be achieved, I have directed the government to expedite the finalization of the National Employment Strategy, which aims to provide new job opportunities for the youth and realize job growth in line with economic growth.”

Egypt has also paid special attention to increasing the minimum wage for workers in state agencies and its public, economic and service bodies, according to the President. “In parallel, the National Council for Wages has decided on setting the minimum wage for workers in the private sector for the first time in Egypt many years ago,” he continued.

The president also said that empowering women economically and enhancing their role in the labor market will help accelerate the country’s economic growth, increase the national income, and double the rates of development. “Therefore, the state embarked on a path of reforms for working women, which also emphasize the importance of developing a supportive framework to empower women in the labor market, support them to join future jobs, and protect them in the workplace.”

President Sisi concluded his speech by expressing his deepest gratitude for the laborers’ generosity and sincere determination.