Saafan: Conditions of workers improved greatly during Sisi’s era

Egypt’s Minister of Manpower Mohamed Saafan said the conditions of Egypt’s workers have improved greatly during the era of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi through many initiatives that supported their social and health status during the past years.

In an interview with MENA board chairman and chief editor Ali Hassan, the minister said the Egyptian laborers enjoy major skills, a matter that has increased demands for them abroad.

The minister praised the mega development projects being carried out in Egypt during the past years, which provided many job opportunities for Egyptians and cut down the unemployment rates.

He added that 2,182 unionist commissions are prepared for running elections across the republic under the supervision of the judiciary, pointing out that the ministry seeks to offer all facilitation to render the election process a success.

Minister Saafan greeted the Egyptian workers on the occasion of Labor Day.

On the new draft labor law, the minister said the bill was finalized after the Senate has given its final approval and is expected to be debated by the House of Representatives in the coming period.

He said the new law is expected to link the work to the production process with the aim of sending assurances to local and foreign investors and encouraging workers to increase their production.

On the minimum wage level, the minister said that 3.7 million facilities applied for the minimum wage level set at LE2,400.

Asked about the e-linkage system with Arab countries, minister Saafan said his ministry launched the system with Libya to organize and facilitate the travel of Egyptian workers to Libya through the ministry only with the aim of protecting the rights of workers, pointing out he discussed with Libyan officials means to apply the health insurance system on Egyptian workers travelling to Libya.

Saafan also said he discussed with Saudi officials means to activate the e-linkage system between the two countries to end the phenomena of fake contracts.

The minister said the Egyptian side signed a memo of understanding with Kuwait to get rid of the phenomenon fake contracts to protect the rights of Egyptians in the Arab Gulf emirate.

On his ministry’s support to Egyptian working women, he said the ministry will launch soon a national plan for gender quality in work places as part of efforts to empower women economically.