The Committee for Justice (CFJ) has monitored new violations by the management of Samanoud Spinning and Weaving Company, where a number of workers are forced to record live videos in which they publicly declare “loyalty” to the company’s chairman, following the spread of news regarding his potential resignation.
Labor sources describe these actions as a “blatant attempt” by the management that exploits the urgent financial needs of workers, constituting an implicit threat of repression or exclusion if they fail to comply. This reinforces the repressive approach that has become characteristic of management’s treatment of employees.
Company management does not stop at this level of escalation; it also goes back on previous promises to grant workers a previously announced raise, showing clear disregard for its credibility and commitments toward employees. Management continues to apply the presidential decree that sets a minimum wage of 7,000 Egyptian pounds in a “selective manner,” benefiting only senior staff and department supervisors, while the vast majority of workers—especially technical and production staff—continue to receive wages not exceeding 3,700 pounds per month, despite months having passed since the issuance of the decree and repeated assurances of its full implementation.
According to testimonies from two workers within the factory, a state of anger and tension prevails throughout the plant due to feelings of social injustice and inequality, especially as improvement decisions target only those connected to management, excluding the rest of the workforce.
The CFJ affirms that the continuation of such practices threatens the stability of the work environment and erodes trust between workers and factory management. The committee also constitutes a clear violation of the principles of social justice that should govern the relationship between workers and their employers.
The CFJ calls on Egypt’s Ministry of Labor to intervene swiftly to halt these violations, pressuring company management to implement the presidential decree on the minimum wage in a fair and equitable manner and to honor its past commitments. The committee further demands the initiation of an independent investigation into the incidents of forcing workers to record loyalty videos, which represent a serious breach of workers’ dignity and professional independence.
