The Committee for Justice (CFJ) highlighted numerous violations against workers in Egypt in its Labor Justice bulletin covering the period from September to October 2023. CFJ stated at the beginning of its report that Egypt’s shift towards an unsustainable economic development pattern, focusing on non-developmental projects with a superficial nature benefiting the middle and upper classes, led the state into a path of economic subordination, resulting in the collapse of the local currency and an increase in inflation to record levels.
CFJ pointed out that workers are among the first victims of the “bold economic reform” adopted by the current political system, with their conditions worsening, especially as the state favors investors and employers from the private sector at the expense of their rights.
CFJ has documented several strikes by workers in more than one Egyptian company, demanding improved financial conditions or the payment of overdue wages. These strikes included workers from Universal and the Nile Linen Group.
These strikes were accompanied by various other violations, such as arbitrary dismissals of workers for demanding their rights and calling for strikes. Security forces, in collaboration with the administrations of some of these companies, engaged in arbitrary arrests of some workers.
This semi-annual report is part of the Labor Justice project, through which the Committee for Justice aims to increase local and international awareness of the state of workers’ rights in Egypt. The project seeks to explore ways to achieve justice for workers by monitoring labor market violations in Egypt and highlighting the dynamics of local laws and policies affecting workers’ rights in accordance with international human rights principles and agreements.
