Translated By: Mostafa Rostom
ETUF Executive board held an emergency meeting today, Tuesday, at its headquarters , to discuss the crisis of the Iron and Steel Company.
A statement issued by the meeting stated that the attendees that represent ETUF leadership’s and the affiliated General Unions confirmed that this meeting was intended to announce the rejection of the General Assembly of the Egyptian Iron and Steel Company in Helwan to close and liquidate factories, which was issued on January 11th, and to address President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic, with urgent intervention To save the Iron and Steel Company and the companies from the liquidation scheme, especially since these companies serve the process of development and establishment of mega projects led by the President that need a strong public sector by developing and not demolishing it … The meeting confirmed and decided the following:
1- ETUF Executive board rejects the decision of the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Egyptian Iron and Steel Company to liquidate the company after 67 years of its establishment, and ignores its national and national role in serving the national industry, as well as supporting the state in times of crises and wars.
2- Adhering to the legitimate rights and demands of workers, and supporting their demands for the development and increase of production in the company, in a manner befitting its position and great potential as a fortress for the iron and steel industry in the Middle East and in accordance with its great capabilities that enable it and pave the way for this development.
(3) Calls on all concerned official parties to stop the liquidation decision and to form a specialized national committee with expertise in this regard, to examine this decision in all its aspects due to its serious economic and social implications and repercussions, and to consider the process of development, reform, advancement and continuation of the national industry and preserving the capabilities of the company, The disclosure of the future vision included in the agenda of the General Assembly, which was prevented from displaying and not considered, and looking into the project submitted by the Chinese company, similar to what was done in the Delta steel factories, a model that has proven its success on the ground and pulled the company out of its crisis and the latest addition to the Egyptian economy, as well as standing On the reasons for disrupting the repair of furnace 3 and boilers, on which more than 300 million pounds were spent in 2017-2018, and did not work until now, although they are important to the production process and would have increased production, as well as the reasons for disrupting the oxygen station that serves the Egyptian people in the Corona crisis, as well as Discussing the decision to separate the mines from the company and the economic consequences for the Egyptian company.
4- Emphasizing the importance of preserving the industrial wealth owned by the leading company in the Middle East
5- Preserving the company’s current technical and productive assets, including, for example, the oxygen plants that are supplied to the Ministry of Health in light of the Corona crisis.
6- Preserving the human element with distinguished technical value in order to develop, increase production and raise the level of technology, as all iron and steel companies in Egypt were built on the shoulders of technicians and engineers from this company.
7 ETUF demands the disclosure of the study that was prevented from presenting to the General Assembly, in order to be in the face of the studies and justifications for liquidation presented by the Ministry of Public Business Sector and justify the liquidation decision based on heavy losses, without presenting the other point of view on development and the exploitation of the company’s capabilities in advancing Again and the protection of nearly 7,000 of its workers.
8 “Emphasizing the rejection of all systematic policies to liquidate and sell public enterprise sector companies, and displace their workers, which recently started with the” National Cement, Spinning Kafr El Dawar, Fertilizers, Iron and Steel Companies, etc. “… and stressing the importance of activating all the mechanisms that would lead to Activating social dialogue between the three production parties, including the government, business owners and workers, in order to stabilize work sites and increase production …
9- Forming an emergency committee to examine the current labor legislation and submit its reports to ETUF Executive board, in order to express an opinion and reconsider all articles that undermine the rights and legitimate interests of workers, marginalize the role of their representatives, and pave the way for the liquidation of their companies!
10- Asking the Prime Minister, the Minister of the Public Business Sector, the ministers and relevant authorities to visit the Iron and Steel Company to find out the facts on the spot , as well as inviting them to the Workers’ House, ETUF headquarters , to listen to their point of view on the liquidation decision, and present the vision of the representatives Workers regarding public business sector companies.
11 “Assigning the legal department of the General Federation of Egyptian Trade Unions to file an urgent lawsuit to stop the decision to liquidate the Iron and Steel Company …