News release
Workers of “Roya Contracting,” owned by businessman Walid Zaki, who is linked to the regime-friendly “Future of the Homeland” party, organized a protest on Sunday, September 8th, at the company’s sites in Tlal Sokhna and Katameya.
The protest lasted from 8:00 AM until 2:30 PM, during which around 200 workers raised demands that had been ignored by management for years.
– Workers’ demands:
The workers’ demands included the reinstatement of the annual salary increase that has been halted since 2019, the reactivation of health insurance that was canceled in 2023, and the payment of annual bonuses, which have not been issued since 2017.
Additionally, they demanded the resumption of cost-of-living allowances that were suspended in 2018, as well as the resolution of gaps in their insurance coverage, which range from two to six years.
At the end of the work shift, the workers concluded their protest simultaneously at both sites. They agreed to draft a memorandum outlining their demands, which they planned to submit to the company’s management on Monday, September 9th.
– Calls to end state bias in favor of businessmen:
It is worth noting that 30 workers had submitted a complaint to the labor office last year containing the same demands, but no action has been taken so far. The workers, who earn an average salary of 5,000 EGP, which is below the minimum wage, are also deprived of forming a union to protect their interests, despite the harsh working conditions that violate labor laws.
The “Justice Committee” calls on the company’s management to respond to the workers’ fair demands and urges Egyptian state institutions dealing with the labor sector to end their bias toward businessmen at the expense of workers’ rights, especially those connected to the “Future of the Homeland” party, which is close to the regime.
