Workers to celebrate Labor Day in Tahrir, demand more freedoms

CAIRO: The Egyptian Independent Trade Unions Federation (EITUF) will organize a ceremony for workers in Tahrir Square on May 1 to celebrate Labor Day.

Invitations were sent out to the Prime Minister, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) as well as the Ministers of Manpower, Finance and Social Solidarity. An invitation was also extended to the public to participate in the festivities.

"For the first time in Egyptian history, workers will celebrate Labor Day in a new reality that allows them one of their basic rights of free assembly and forming independent trade unions," said a statement by the EITUF.

Workers demanded the disbanding of the official Egyptian Trade Unions Federation (ETUF), accusing it of being a "tool" in the hands of the ousted regime to obstruct labor movements in Egypt. Workers also demanded more freedoms regarding the establishment of independent trade unions.

The ETIUF welcomed a draft law for syndicate freedoms prepared by the Ministry of Manpower, saying it achieved a main demand for the labor movement and will lead to better working conditions as well as the development of negotiation mechanisms between workers and business owners.

However, it criticized Article 5, which allows trade unions formed before the law to operate normally, saying this gives established unions an advantage regarding human and financial resources and demanding their disbandment as well as restructuring.

Kamal Abbas, general coordinator of the Center for Trade Unions and Workers Services (CTUWS) and board member of the EITUF, filed a lawsuit earlier this week to disband the ETUF and put its money under judicial supervision.

"The ETUF [should have been] disbanded automatically with the National Democratic Party for the same reasons. There are court rulings invalidating the ETUF's 2006 elections which were not enforced," Abbas said.

"This federation doesn't represent workers because its membership is compulsory and the subscription fees are deducted from salaries without [workers’] consent," he added.

ETUF's chairman, Hussein Megawer, was arrested last week and detained during investigations into violent incidents that took place on Feb. 2 in Tahrir Square.

The ETUF called for canceling Labor Day celebrations this year before announcing recently that they will organize a "symbolic" ceremony.

On Sunday, the ETUF held a press conference attacking Minister of Manpower Ahmed El-Borai and Abbas, accusing them of receiving foreign funds.

"We are funded by members' subscriptions and we only seek international solidarity not foreign authority over us," Abbas said.

The EITUF also demanded that foreign workers with official working permits be given the right to join trade unions and participate in elections.

The draft law was prepared by CTUWS with the cooperation of El-Borai before he was appointed minister.

"We still face challenges in establishing independent trade unions from business owners and their deputies, who attempt to disperse labor leaders and do not allow workers access to facilities to hold meetings," said Talal Shokr, board member of the EITUF and deputy of the Pensioners Independent Trade Union.

Workers also demanded setting a minimum and maximum wage, the disapproval of a proposed strikes law, permanently hiring workers who are currently on temporary contracts, and changing the management of companies involved in corruption.

The list of demands, signed by more than 45 trade unions, human rights organizations, political parties and youth movements, included reopening factories whose owners fled the country and improving working conditions and providing protection against arbitrary decisions by business owners.

The EITUF, now comprising 14 independent workers' syndicates, is set to hold its founding conference next October after it reaches 3 million members and plans to apply for membership at the International Confederations for Trade Unions.