Press release
Geneva – May 21, 2024
The protests of commission-based collection officers and meter readers at subsidiary water companies under the Egyptian Holding Company for Water and Wastewater have continued. On Tuesday, May 14, commission-based collection officers and meter readers at the Asyut Water and Wastewater Company organized a protest in front of the company’s main office. They demanded permanent employment and wages tied to the minimum wage, rather than being based on collection rates, especially given the rising cost of living.
In response, the National Security Agency summoned five workers from the company, exerting pressure on them to end their protest with threats of dismissal and arrest.
Participants in the protest stated that they have been working for the company for up to ten years under contracts that automatically renew, a tactic used to circumvent the Egyptian labor law and deny them permanent status when they request it.
The “Committee for Justice” (CFJ) has expressed its solidarity with the commission-based collection officers and meter readers at the Asyut Water and Wastewater Company. The committee emphasizes that the solution lies in finding safe resolutions for workers to ensure a suitable work environment, rather than evading laws.
According to Egyptian labor law, if a fixed-term employment contract continues after its term has expired, it becomes an indefinite-term contract, effectively granting the worker permanent employment status. Thus, workers are entitled to permanent contracts with recognition of their previous service periods. Consequently, they should also be subject to the presidential decree on the minimum wage.
