50 Helwan Cement Workers Sacked

50 daily wage workers at Helwan cement co. were denied access to the company after the board of directors issued a decision of dismissing them.
 
The dismissed workers gathered, along with other sympathizing colleagues who know that they are on dismissal waiting list, in front of the company gate demanding to talk with any members of Board of Directors. However, they were prevented from taliking to any of them.
 
For his part, Ali Fath Al-Bab, a Muslim Brotherhood member of parliament and a labor leader in Helwan, lodged a written question to the Minister of Labour and the Minister of Investment regarding a hunger strike staged by more than 26 workers in the Helwan cement factory after they were arbitrarily sacked by the company’s Italian-led management.
 
Fath Al-Bab described the decision of the factory management as illegal and violating labor law provisions, confirming that the company management has laid injustice on these workers.
 
Fath Al-Bab added in statements to Ikhwanweb:” These dismissed workers have temporary contracts with the company for more than five years. This long period of work strengthen the contract. He adds that their five-year continuous work means that the employed needs them.
 
Fath Al-bab pointed out that, according to the labor law, any employer has the right to dismiss any laborer he wants, provided that a group of measures are taken, including notifying the worker of this before no less than 3 months and presenting this issue to a three-party committee. Consequently, the decision of dismissing these workers at Helwan cement is deemed illegal as it contains many violations.
 
Fatah Al-Bab raise his eyebrows why the cement company board took such a decision that deprives dozens of families from their source of living, although the company yields huge profits.
 
It is worth mentioning that 26 workers at Helwan cement co. declared their hunger strike after they were arbitrarily dismissed by the management. It all began last Thursday, June, 28th, 2007. After the end of the workday in the factory,  an administrative leaflet was distributed of ending contracts with 26 temporary-contract workers. The decision included more than 50 daily wage workers although most of them have been working in the factory for more than five years.
 
As a reaction to this injustice, the dismissed workers lodged complaint no 9527 against the factory management at Helwan police station. They also sent a written complaint to Helwan Labour Office which, in turn, sent a delegation headed by Helwan labor force manager to talk with the factory management. However, no solution has been reached yet.