The “Committee for Justice” (CFJ) has reported that the billing collectors and meter readers at the Qalyubia Drinking Water and Sanitation Company suspended their protests following a meeting with the company’s chairman, Engineer Mostafa Megahed. During the meeting, Megahed pledged to meet the workers’ demands, including implementing the minimum wage starting in April, and reinstating billing duties that had previously been withdrawn.
The workers had organized protests across several branches of the company, including in Qanater El-Khairiya, Khossous, Shubra El-Kheima, and Benha, voicing their concerns over low wages and unfair contract terms. The workers received calls from company officials inviting them to a meeting with the chairman to discuss their demands.
According to worker representatives, Megahed also promised to pay a compensatory bonus for the months of January and February, renew the workers’ health cards, and sign national ID renewal forms. Discussions also included revising new contract terms to incorporate insurance and social rights while ensuring wages would not fall below the established minimum wage.
The workers had faced considerable pressure from management during the previous period. The company allegedly attempted to force them to terminate their current contracts and sign new contracts under a “commission-based” system, which the workers described as temporary contracts that provide no financial or insurance security.
These pressures included threats of dismissal, refusal to renew workers’ health cards — which forced some employees, particularly those with chronic illnesses, to cover medical expenses out of their own pockets — and the company’s refusal to sign national ID renewal forms for several employees, exacerbating their hardships. Additionally, some collectors were summoned by National Security based on complaints filed by management, accusing them of causing unrest — an act the workers viewed as an intimidation tactic to pressure them into accepting unfair conditions.
For its part, the company’s management stated that the proposed new contract is not a “commission-based” contract as the workers believed but rather a “Reader and Collector” contract that guarantees insurance and social benefits while offering the potential for higher earnings. However, the workers indicated that they were not given the opportunity to thoroughly review the contract terms, raising concerns about its conditions.
CFJ affirms its solidarity with the company’s workers and calls on management to honor its promises and ensure the workers’ financial and insurance rights. The committee also emphasizes the importance of transparency in addressing the workers’ demands, particularly regarding the implementation of the minimum wage, especially given the challenging economic conditions the workers are facing.
