(Photo from Al-Borsa News)
The Egyptian Trade Union Federation rejects the proposed multiple trade union system proposed in the union rights draft law, federation head Abdel Fatah Ibrahim has said.
The multiple trade union system would allow two unions to establish themselves within one institution. Ibrahim said that if this “system were to be applied it would separate labour unity, which would be a breach of national security.”
Ibrahim announced in the conference that a meeting will be held with different business owners Sunday to discuss the recent law which established the minimum wage for workers in the public sector, which the federation has called “disastrous” in a Thursday statement.
Ibrahim proposed an alternate method of deciding minimum and maximum wage, saying, “We call on the government to form a committee of experts which includes a number of members of the Supreme Council for Wages to prepare a careful study to decide minimum and maximum wage in accordance to the living expenses and the size of inflation.”
The head of the federation reiterated his rejection of the decision made by the current ministry of manpower and immigration specifying minimum wage at EGP 1,200 a month, adding that the “current cabinet knows it will be leaving according to the democratic roadmap decided on 30 of June”.
In a televised interview, meanwhile, Minister of Manpower Kamal Abu Eita said that “the minimum wage decision made by the cabinet is the first step towards the restructuring of the wage system in Egypt.”
Abu Eita stated that he has “spoken to Prime Minister Hazem El-Beblawi, who explained that maximum wage policy will be applied, and a complete change in the wage system will commence.”
“The last increase in wages was EGP 700 and only applied to 30% of specific workers who earn the lowest wages in the system, while we are working on changing certain faulty legislations.”
