Manpower Minister speaks before ILO conference

CAIRO – 14 June 2017: Minister of Manpower Mohamed Saafan called on Tuesday for revising the International Labor Organization (ILO)’s “measures characterized by the absence of transparency and justice” throughout the upcoming two years.

The statement came during a speech he delivered before the 106th session of the International Labor Conference, held June 5-16 in the Swiss capital, Geneva.

“It has been evident for all, the absence of transparency in categorizing countries, and of active participation of all individuals involved in the decision-making process as well as not taking into consideration political conditions, crisis, and disasters that face some states,” Saafan said.

On the sidelines of the conference, Saafan told the press that Egypt’s interest is “above all,” and that his country respects international conventions and recommendations it has endorsed by passing corresponding legislation.

He stressed that the Egyptian constitution guarantees labor rights and the government’s role in building a balanced relationship between employers and employees, as well as strengthening social dialogue between work partners.

Saafan said both labor and syndicate draft laws have been transferred by the government to the Parliament. While drafting the laws, the Egyptian government took into consideration international labor standards and conventions endorsed by Egypt, Saafan continued.

Three hearing sessions were held in the parliament for syndicates’ representatives for three days last month before its presentation in a general session on June 15.

In August, workshops will be held in collaboration with the ILO to inform different social sectors on labor laws, and to promote the culture of establishing and joining syndicates before the Parliamentary voting sessions.

The laws will be promulgated before syndicate elections take place by the end of the year.

The secretary general of Egypt’s Labor Union, Mohamed Wahb Allah, said he met with the head of the Conference Committee on the Application of Standards to explain laborers’ status and challenges in Egypt as well as the measures taken to amend the labor and syndicates laws.

The vice-president of the general union of Egyptian labor syndicates Magdy el-Badawy clarified that Egypt would respond to all allegations and comments in the session held by the committee on Wednesday to review Egypt’s status on labor rights
Badawy said that Egypt will also display the memorandum of understanding signed by different parties on debatable points as well as labor syndicates elections’ timetable.