The Centre for Trade Union & Workers’ Services (CTUWS) calls on deputies of the Reform and Development Misruna Party to adopt their proposal.
CTUWS organized a discussion session at 5 p.m. on 6/4/2021 in which labour activists from various sectors and representatives of workers trade unions in communications, real estate taxes, education, adult education, drivers’ unions, and small farmers participated.
The seminar was attended by Ms. Sahar Al-Ashry (Samannud) and Dr. Rawia Mukhtar (Beheira), two deputies and members of the Parliamentary Committee of the Reform and Development Misruna Party.
The seminar was opened by Kamal Abbas, the general coordinator of CTUWS, who stressed the importance of the Social Insurance and Pensions Law as it is one of the most important social legislations. The law is important for pensioners and workers in all sectors who make a significant category of Egyptians. Abbas blamed the absence of a social dialogue, listening to the various points of view, and studying objections to the proposed amendment.
Kamal Abbas, also, stressed the importance of looking at the set of labour legislation as it constitutes one integrated system that includes the labour law, the civil service law, the insurance and pension law, and the trade unions law. It constitutes a body that needs to be harmonized.
Kamal Abbas explained that the proposed amendments to the articles of Law No. 148 of 2019 are based on the experience of applying the law for fifteen months and a careful study of all the observations made by pensioners and workers in all sectors. The law still has some confusions.
Then Rahma Rifaat, the program coordinator and the legal advisor of CTUWS, explained the proposed amendments to some articles of the law and said that the law needs to be revised to avoid unconstitutionality. CTUWS is, however, ready to submit a proposal to amend some of its articles that need revision.
The two deputies expressed their interest in the proposal submitted by CTUWS and their desire to listen to the various views expressed by all the included parties.
Attendees, including labour activists and trade unionists, criticized the provisions of the law related to early retirement. Many workers could not benefit from it especially after the sanitary crisis and the dismissal of many workers.
Some of the attendees also explained the problem of workers in the public business sector, especially those whose period of participation in the insurance system is more than 36 years. They, also spoke about how the law deprived them to receive their rights despite their insurance contributions leading to inequality between a worker who reached retirement age on December 31, 2019 and a worker who reached it on January 1, 2020.
Representatives of the informal sector expressed their objection to the abolition of Law No. 112 of 1980 without a concrete alternative, as it resulted in depriving workers in the informal sectors and particularly farmers and agricultural workers from obtaining a permanent pension that would provide them with their basic needs.
Some participants expressed their concern about the annual increase in pensions in relation to the inflation rate, up to a maximum of 15% as this may lead to a decrease in the yearly raise, in particular, and that the government alone manages pension funds. The decrease in the value of the pension received by the worker compared to the wage they were receiving before his retirement is problematic.
At the end of the seminar, the attendees expressed their hope for a sufficient number of deputies to adopt a proposal to amend some articles of the law, as the two women deputies promised to organize a meeting with the Parliamentary Commission of the Reform and Development Misruna Party to discuss the proposal in preparation for its adoption and take the necessary steps to present it to the House of Representatives.
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