Egypt Watch

CTUWS: New labour legislation eliminates job security and right to strike

The Centre for Trade Unions and Workers Services said that the bill of the new labour legislation, which was prepared by the Senate to be referred to the House of Representatives within days, eliminates job security and bans the right to strike. CTUWS enumerated its remarks on the bill in a statement emphasising article 104, 105 and 106, which addresses the limited-term contracts, and allowed them without conditions for permanent work.

According to the centre, the law allows the business owners to exploit workers in permanent work with limited contracts to seize the power to sack the worker and to deny him his financial rights. The law provides that the workers must notify the administration of the strike 10 days before, and if the worker violates this condition, the law allows the administration to sack him.

In addition, the law kept the ban on striking in facilities related to “national security” and let defining such facilities to the regulations issued by the prime ministry. The centre demanded the parliament conduct a real social dialogue over the law with participation of representatives of the workers from outside the official Egyptian Trade Union Federation, which is known to be dominated by the government.