Press release
The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has observed that the project manager of the Telal Sokhna site, affiliated with “Rooya Contracting Company,” refused to receive an official memo from the workers regarding their demands, opting instead to send it via email to the main administration in Cairo. The administration responded by escalating the situation, referring nine workers to investigation and summoning them to the company’s headquarters in Cairo for interrogation on Tuesday, September 10.
– Previous protest:
The workers’ demands stem from a protest they held at both the Telal Sokhna and Katameya sites. They objected to the deterioration of their working conditions following a change in the company’s management after its ownership was transferred to “Pioneers Securities,” which is managed by a prominent member of the “Future of the Nation” party, closely linked to Egypt’s ruling regime.
The workers’ protest revolves around several key demands, including the payment of an annual raise, which has been suspended since 2019, the reinstatement of medical insurance that was canceled in 2023, the resumption of annual profit distributions that have been withheld since 2017, and the reinstatement of the cost-of-living allowance that was suspended in 2018.
Additionally, the workers are demanding the settlement of unpaid social insurance periods, which range from two to six years per worker.
– Calls for serious negotiations instead of intimidation:
CFJ has expressed solidarity with the company’s workers, stressing that the solution lies in entering into serious negotiations with the workers.
CFJ also called on the Ministry of Labor to intervene immediately to enforce Labor Law No. 12 of 2003 and hold the company’s management accountable for legal violations related to workers’ rights. Furthermore, CFJ warned of the risks of escalating actions against peaceful labor movements and urged labor unions and organizations to declare their solidarity with the workers and support their legitimate demands.
