Press release
Geneva – February 26, 2024
The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has raised concerns over the summons and interrogation of workers at Ghazl El Mahalla Company by National Security in
Gharbia Governorate, Egypt, following their strike in opposition to the exclusion of the public business sector from the recent minimum wage increase.
According to CFJ’s monitoring, on February 24, 2024, National Security summoned male and female workers at the Mahalla Spinning Factory in Mahalla, subjecting them to questioning due to their refusal to adhere to the new minimum wage policy. Several workers were reportedly detained temporarily as part of this investigation.
CFJ detailed that the security forces initially summoned nine workers from the towel factory and another worker from the company’s clothing factory on the day the strike commenced. Subsequently, on February 26, more workers from the company were summoned, with some experiencing temporary detention before being released.
The CFJ has identified specific workers who were held briefly during this period, including Wael Muhammad Abu Zuwayed, a worker at the training school; Muhammad Mahmoud Tolba, a worker in the administration; Hamdi Muhammad Abdul Aty, a worker in the clothing factory; and Muhammad Muhammad Tawfiq, a worker in the clothing factory.
The strike, initiated by Ghazl El Mahalla Company workers on February 24, 2024, protests the exclusion of the public business sector, to which the company belongs, from the President of the Republic’s decision to raise the minimum wage to 6,000 pounds.
CFJ strongly condemns the arbitrary measures taken by Egyptian security services against the striking workers and emphasizes that the right to strike is protected for these workers under Article 204 of Egypt’s new labor law and international law.
In addition to condemning the actions, CFJ calls on the management of Ghazl El Mahalla Company to engage in open and constructive dialogue with its employees. CFJ urges the company to find solutions that ensure the fair compensation of workers and smooth operation, emphasizing the need to avoid resorting to repressive security measures
