Press release
Geneva – January 27, 2024
The Egyptian Ministry of Labor has initiated an “unlawful” campaign against the Workers’ Union of the Suez Canal Clubs – a Solidarity Federation of Trade Unions member. This action was instigated by a decision from the Minister of Labor and officials of the Suez Canal Clubs in February 2024, ordering the cessation of union dues deductions from the workers.
This measure threatens the union’s ability to meet its financial obligations and obstructs its ongoing operations, with the aim of liquidating it and halting its activities. It infringes upon the authority of its general assembly and deprives the workers of the Suez Canal Clubs of their right to organize and choose their representatives.
These developments occur within the context of continuous pressures faced by the Workers’ Union of the Suez Canal Clubs since its establishment in February 2012, following the Declaration of Trade Union Freedoms issued by the Minister of Labor on March 12, 2011. The union has encountered restrictions on its council, hindering its role in defending workers and protecting their legitimate rights.
Notably, this attack on the union follows its role in establishing the Solidarity Federation of Trade Unions and electing Karam Abdel Halim as its vice president.
The Committee for Justice (CFJ) asserts that the measures taken by the Egyptian Ministry of Labor are arbitrary and violate the Egyptian Constitution, Trade Unions Law No. 213 of 2017, and international agreements ratified by Egypt. These include Convention No. 98 of 1949 concerning the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining and Convention 87 of 1948 regarding Freedom of Association and the Right to Organize.
CFJ emphasizes its full solidarity with the Workers’ Union of the Suez Canal Clubs, holding the Egyptian Ministry of Labor fully responsible for the assaults against the union within the framework of targeting independent unions. It calls for the cessation of these actions and urges respect for Egyptian constitutional and legal texts and Egypt’s commitment to international labor treaties and conventions.