PM decides to establish higher council for societal dialogue

CAIRO - 27 April 2018: Prime Minister Sherif Ismail issued a decision on Friday to establish the higher council for societal dialogue in the labor field.

The decision was published in the official gazette.

The council will be headed by Manpower Minister Mohamed Saafan.

The membership of the council includes two representatives from a number of ministries, such as social solidarity, investment and international cooperation, trade and industry, justice, manpower, house of representatives affairs, education and technical education, irrigation, local development and tourism.

In addition, the membership also includes six members of the chairpersons or members of board of directors of relevant business organizations, as well as six chairmen or members of board of directors of relevant trade unions.

The Council is responsible for participating in the formulation of national policies for societal dialogue in the field of labor, creating an environment conducive to consultation, cooperation and exchange of information, preparing studies and recommendations in economic and social fields, and expressing opinions on draft labor laws and trade unions and related laws.

The council's tasks include expressing opinions on international and Arab labor agreements before signing them, and proposing appropriate solutions to prevent collective labor disputes at the national level, particularly in economic crises, which lead to the suspension of some projects in whole or in part.

The council is also tasked with building trust between partners of the production process and adopting procedures aimed at assisting and supporting economic projects that provide suitable employment opportunities.