(DNE File Photo / Hassan Ibrahim)
The National Salvation Front (NSF) announced that their youth will take part in demonstrations on Labour Day, which is on Wednesday.
“Egyptian workers fuelled our revolution, which was not generated without struggle,” said the umbrella group of opposition parties in a statement. The group said it would march with workers in solidarity with their continued struggle, which include working to enact legislation guaranteeing rights and freedoms of workers, setting fair minimum and maximum wages, and fair treatment of retired workers.
The group said it would take part in a march that will leave Al-Sayeda Zeinab at 1pm on Wednesday and go to the Shura Council.
The announcement comes one day after President Mohamed Morsi met with Minister of Manpower Khaled Al-Azhary and the head of the Workers Union of Egypt Gibali Al-Maraghy. The president emphasised the importance of workers to the revival of the country, and voiced his commitment to meet the needs of workers across different sectors, according to a statement released by the presidency.
Following the meeting Al-Azhary said that the government was keen to uphold labour agreements protecting freedoms and was committed to respecting international conventions. He added that union elections would take place “as soon as possible” once the current political situation stabilises.
“Egypt has taken leading steps towards building a new era of guaranteed freedoms and achieved social justice,” said the minister in his statement.
A report published by the Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rights on Sunday indicated that labour strikes and protests have doubled under President Morsi, with most of of 2012’s 3,817 labour strikes and economically motivated social protests occurring following Morsi’s rise to the presidency in June.
