WHO RESCUE THE EGYPTIAN LABORERS AND THEIR RIGHTS?

12/10/2006

 

          Maat Center observes the issue of the laborers of the Egyptian company for Food 'Cadbury' which is affiliated to Misr Bank and in which works 105 workers who are badly affected by freezing salaries and subsides and the grant of Labor Day since year 1994, in spite of the resolution issued concerning this grant in the labor cause no. 404 year 2001 in the session of 10, July 2004, which did not executed up till now. Also their salaries have been cut since July 2006, and they have been deprived of the Health Insurance and the social insurances since 10 months, although their problems have been tackled in the Work Force Committee in the People's Assembly in the mid March. The laborers in 'Cadbury' had sent a bill of calling for help to Dr. Ahmed Nazif, calling upon him to interfere so as to save the company from the arranged and intended corruption, in which they said:

We have told your Excellency more than once, and the problem grows towards the worse, as they are greedy to destroy the factories and displace the laborers so as to cover the ground with dwelling towers, regardless of the interests of Egypt, its workers and people. Also we have presented to you all documents that prove the correctness of our reports and they are the best witnesses for us. This is what was assured by the Investment Body note in Misr Bank, which was presented to Misr Bank's Board of Directors by the date of 16-11-2004, and the serial of the document is 520040312. The interpretation of all this is that there is a plan to destroy this company and displace its workers.

As the extraordinary General Assembly has decided to liquidate the company by the date of 28-12-2008, and to appoint the Chief man of the Board of Directors the one who liquidate it, which is considered a violation of the labor law no. 12 for year 2003 , as the legal committees represented in both the Local Committee in the Work Force Department by the date of 4-7-2005, and the Central Protesting Committee in the Work Force  Ministry by the date of 16-10-2005, refused the company's requests to close the company and displace the workers. They refused such request depending on the head of the Investment Body in Misr Bank and the members of the committee, who are the representatives of the General Association for Investment and after studying the budgets of 'Cadbury' company since 1999, and the report stated that:

"The unspecialized administration was the main cause behind the failure and the accumulated losses of the company, and it is not fair to make the laborers pay the price of the faults of the successive administrations. In addition, there are a resolution issued by the General Assembly by the date of 8-12-2004 to prolong the appointed time of the company for 5 years, and this is considered an obligation according to article 69 of law no. 159 in year 198." Taking into consideration that this liquidation resolution is appealed before the Administration Court in the cause no. 12075.

The laborers asked the Prim Minister a very important question:

How can the concerning bodies in the state achieve solutions for all the problems of the laborers in other companies, although these problems appeared after the problem of 'Cadbury' and some of them are more complex than 'Cadbury' 's problem? Is this because they are private sector and affiliated to private money? Why did not they accomplish a solution for Cadbury's problem in spite of the fact that it is one of the companies of the National Egyptian Bank which is a national economic association affiliated  to the public money?

Also the laborers repeated their pretexts to the Public Union of the Egyptian Laborers Syndicate that

A union committee has been formed in it since 1985 and until the recent period 2001-2006 , yet there is no judicial rule or resolution has been issued up till now, while the problem is still  there, and the laborers (102laborers) have  paid the union partnership to the Public Union for Food Products and the Public Union of the Egyptian Laborers Syndicate in the Egyptian Laborers Bank until 3-12-2006.And consequently it is  not allowed to sell the company except after the approval of its General Assembly.

At the same time the laborers of Cadbury company did not save efforts in following their issue and in trying to approach the highest authority by complaining  to the President himself, their calls did not find any answer, and even the Mass Media have  neglected their issue and concerned during the Generous Month of Ramadan with the stars of the society and the news of the artists and the various annual puzzles which do not differ from the government's puzzles around its treatment of the labor issues in the age of acceleration in privatization and displacing laborers, in a way that shows that the people's ownership of their rights and money is considered an insult to the government . We shall not repeat our questions regarding those who benefit from destroying and corruption operation for the sake of selling the companies which did not sustain any losses up till now.

But we focus on the rights of these people according to a Communist constitution which has been formed in a strange way that provoke laborers, peasants and the poor people to serve the policies of the Capitalism direction of the government which causes the increasing number of the unemployed, especially among those who are in a critical age which does not allow them to reshape their lives for the risk they and their families will be exposed to.

Maat Center announces its solidarity the requests of Cadbury laborers which they  repeated clearly ,loudly and frankly in the street during a protest in front of the television building after Saturday , in which they expressed in simple words:

Effectuating the recommendations and resolutions of the Work Force Committee which was pointed at in a note written with the cooperation of the parliament and the Minister office, as nothing of these recommendations and resolutions are executed up till now, except for paying out the salaries until 30-6-2006 only.

Considering the social and human dimensions which the Excellency of the President calls for in every occasion and applying articles 13, 16, 17 of the Egyptian constitution,

We demand continuing paying the laborers' salaries which have been cut since the last July, 2006 until their problems are solved to save them and their families from suffering

And as a result of depriving the laborers of being treated by Health Insurance since 8months , death rate increased among them , and thus we requests to continue treating them by the Health Insurance and curing insurances.

We also call upon the Mass Media to carry their own responsibilities towards the real issues that occupy the society of the majority of the poor , before they disappeared or perished as a result of the violent privatization policies which do not mercy them or let them to God's mercy.