67261_SC_S3_R1_Layout 1 2/5/10 6:58 AM Page 1 I JUSTICE I JUSTICE for ALL for I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I “This timely and important report about the recent wave of labor unrest in Egypt, the country’s largest social movement ALL The Struggle in more than half a century, is essential reading for academics, activists, and policy makers. It identifies the political and economic motivations behind—and the legal system that enables—the government’s suppression of worker rights, in a well-edited review of the country’s 100-year history of labor activism.” The Struggle for Worker Rights Sarah Leah Whitson Director, Middle East and North Africa Division, Human Rights Watch I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I for “This is by far the most comprehensive and detailed account available in English of the situation of Egypt’s working people Worker Rights today, and of their struggles—often against great odds—for a better life. Author Joel Beinin recounts the long history of IN EGYPT labor activism in Egypt, including lively accounts of the many strikes waged by Egyptian workers since 2004 against declining real wages, oppressive working conditions, and violations of their legal rights, and he also surveys the plight of A REPORT BY THE SOLIDARITY CENTER women workers, child labor and Egyptian migrant workers abroad. Beinin goes on to show how Egyptian workers’ activism relates to wider struggles against Egypt’s authoritarian government, which denies workers independent trade in unions that could defend their interests, engages in flagrant abuses of human and labor rights, and pursues neoliberal Egypt economic policies that have led to widespread layoffs and wage cuts. This is a must-read book for anyone interested in workers, unions, and labor law in the Middle East, as well as in global labor issues more broadly.” Zachary Lockman Departments of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies and History, New York University I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I “This report is timely and relevant regarding the rise of protest movements all over Egypt in recent years. Although these movements are not yet well structured, they represent a glimpse of hope for the future of the country. Moreover, the emergence A of females as effective actors in these movements, not merely as backers of men’s struggles, is a valuable addition. I would REPORT recommend that this comprehensive report be widely distributed to all concerned parties, especially Egyptian workers.” Nawla Darwiche BY Chairperson, New Woman Foundation, Cairo THE I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I SOLIDARITY SOLIDARITY CENTER, AFL-CIO 888 16th Street, NW Suite 400 Washington, DC 20006 CENTER www.solidaritycenter.org ISBN 0-9761551-7-6 67261_SC_S3_R1_Layout 1 2/8/10 1:00 PM Page 2 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS SOLIDARITY CENTER PUBLICATIONS I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I The Solidarity Center wishes to thank the principal author of this study, Dr Joel Beinin, Justice for All: A Guide to Worker Rights in the Global Economy Donald J. McLachlan Professor of History and Professor of Middle East History at Stanford University, who was an independent consultant on this project, as well as Research Assistant Justice for All: The Struggle for Worker Rights in China Marie Duboc, PhD candidate in Sociology at the School of Advanced Social Sciences Studies (EHESS), University of Paris and researcher at the CEDEJ in Cairo. The Center would also like Justice for All: The Struggle for Worker Rights in Colombia to acknowledge Lance Compa, Senior Lecturer at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, for his ongoing guidance for these publications and his assistance in the review Justice for All: The Struggle for Worker Rights in Jordan of this report; and Chantal Thomas, Professor of Law at Cornell University Law School (and former chair of the Department of Law at the American University in Cairo), for reviewing the content Justice for All: The Struggle for Worker Rights in Mexico of this report and providing input. Justice for All: The Struggle for Worker Rights in Sri Lanka Fay Lyle from the Solidarity Center’s Global Outreach Office was the executive editor of this report in the Justice for All series on worker rights, and Michael Slackman was the copy editor. Justice for All: The Struggle for Worker Rights in Swaziland Michelle Woodward was the photo editor. We acknowledge the contributions of Solidarity Center staff Heba F. El-Shazli and Erin Radford, and Marian Fadel, human rights and worker rights Justice for All: The Struggle for Worker Rights in Thailand activist, for their research and follow-up efforts to ensure accurate and timely results. We also thank AFL-CIO and Solidarity Center staff who reviewed content, provided substantive and Justice for All: The Struggle for Worker Rights in Guatemala editorial input, and made helpful suggestions. Economics in Indonesia: What Every Worker Needs to Know Most of all, we express our gratitude to the workers in Egypt, whose daily struggle for fundamental worker rights and human rights is the reason for writing and publishing this report. Their courage Unequal Equation: The Labor Code and Worker Rights in Haiti and determination inspires us all. This report is dedicated to the memory of Yusuf Darwish (1910-2006), a tireless fighter for the Solidarity Center Gender Programming Manual rights of Egyptian workers. The Degradation of Work: The True Cost of Shrimp Note: This report discusses some situations and events in a general context. This reflects our foremost concern, which is to exercise The Degradation of Work: Trafficking in Persons: The Kenya Experience sensitivity and discretion toward organizations and workers in Egypt. Field interviews were conducted throughout 2008 and 2009. Workers' requests for anonymity were honored. Justice for All: A Guide to Worker Rights in the Global Economy (third edition) Cover: Misr Spinning and Weaving Company workers celebrate their strike victory in the town of Kafr el-Dawwar in the Nile Delta province of Beheira, south of Alexandria. February 8, 2007 67261_SC_S1:Layout 1 2/1/10 3:47 PM Page 1 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I JUSTICE FOR ALL The Struggle for Worker Rights IN EGYPT A REPORT BY THE SOLIDARITY CENTER IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 67261_SC_S1:Layout 1 2/1/10 3:47 PM Page 2 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Copyright © February 2010 by the Solidarity Center All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America SOLIDARITY CENTER 888 16th Street, NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20006 www.solidaritycenter.org The Solidarity Center is a nonprofit organization established to provide assistance to workers who are struggling to build democratic and independent trade unions around the world. It was created in 1997 through the consolidation of four regional AFL-CIO institutes. Working with unions, nongovernmental organizations, and other community partners, the Solidarity Center supports programs and projects to advance worker rights and promote broad-based, sustainable economic development around the world. Photo credits: Cover, page 32, page 72, page 120 . © Hossam el-Hamalawy Page4 ................................................................................©PetrutCalinescu Page7...........................................................©ArabImageFoundation/RaficBoustani Page 11 . © Grey Villet//Time Life Pictures/Getty Images Page13.................................................................©ArabImageFoundation/Arshag Page30.........................................................................©PaulSchemm/APPhoto Page37 .......................................................................©AsmaaWaguih/APPhoto Page47 ....................................................................©MarkHenley/PanosPictures Page 50 . © REUTERS/Tara Todras-Whitehill /Landov Page52,page54,page114 ...................................................................©SarahCarr Page69........................................................................©NasserNasser/APPhoto Page75....................................................................©NasserNuri/Reuters/Landov Page90 ........................................................................©CarstenSnejbjerg/WpN Page92,page93,page102,page103 .......................................................©YasserAlwan Page96 ...............................................................©DenisDailleux/AgenceVU/Aurora Page117 ...........................................................................©STR/Reuters/Landov Funding provided by a grant from the National Endowment for Democracy ISBN 0-9761551-9-2 67261_SC_S1:Layout 1 2/1/10 3:47 PM Page 1 TABLEOFCONTENTS IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII FOREWORD.......................................................................................................... 3 By Richard L. Trumka CHAPTERONE ...................................................................................................... 4 Egypt’s Worker Rights History CHAPTERTWO ...................................................................................................