A little justice goes a long way
Director: Philip Rizk
Duration: 00:07:42; Aspect Ratio: 1.333:1; Hue: 358.811; Saturation: 0.077; Lightness: 0.411; Volume: 0.135; Cuts per Minute: 8.426; Words per Minute: 126.783
Summary: On the 16th of February Egyptian worker Nagy Rashad raised a court case against the Egyptian president, prime minister and minister of industry calling for an increase of minimum wage currently set at LE35 ($6) a month. On April 30th Nagy won the case and the court ruled that the prime minister had one month to increase Egypt's minimum wage to a level where it would be in accordance with market prices.
After a 30 day grace period given to the prime minister to implement the court ruling a protest took place at the prime minister's office in downtown Cairo. Leading up to this event film-maker Philip Rizk made this video in order to raise awareness to the urgency of the matter. On 2 May 2010 hundreds of workers and activists protested for the implementation of the court case.
The video was distributed online via social networks to raise awareness to the legal victory backing the protest.
On the 16th of February Egyptian worker Nagy Rashad raised a court case against the Egyptian president, prime minister and minister of industry calling for an increase of minimum wage currently set at LE35 ($6) a month. On April 30th Nagy won the case and the court ruled that the prime minister had one month to increase Egypt's minimum wage to a level where it would be in accordance with market prices.
After a 30 day grace period given to the prime minister to implement the court ruling a protest took place at the prime minister's office in downtown Cairo. Leading up to this event film-maker Philip Rizk made this video in order to raise awareness to the urgency of the matter. On 2 May 2010 hundreds of workers and activists protested for the implementation of the court case.
The video was distributed online via social networks to raise awareness to the legal victory backing the protest.
Cairo, Egypt
egypt
labor
minimum wage
protest
workers
A Little Justice Goes a Long Way
our right to a minimum living wage in egypt
cairo
egypt
labor
minmum wage
workers
Lawyer Khalid Ali at a protest calling for a fair minimum wage, 3 April 2010
In December 2008, the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights filed a lawsuit against the Egyptian government, calling for a minimum wage
Khaled Ali
Director, The Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights
We filed the lawsuit as part of the Rigths Movement in Egypt. I am also a founding member fo the Coordinating Commitee for Rights and Liberties of Unions and Workers. Since 2006 we have been discussing a minimum living wage, its correlation to living costs and how to improve wages. I researched the legal possibilities of pushing the Egyptian government to enforce a minimum living wage, and came to the conclusion of what can be presented before Egyptian courts.
After that I offered a worker called Nagy Rashad to take on the case.
In 2007, there was a powerful social momentum among the working class in Egypt. Everyone was unhappy with their wages. We saw a lot of strikes starting with the famous strike of the Al-Mahalla workers in December 2006.
The strike strengthened and revived the whole working class, causing rise to many strikes and sit-ins. The momentum lasted through 2007.
During this time, the workers came up with a brilliant slogan to embarass the government. They called on the government to allow them to live on the poverty line!
The momentum lasted through 2007, even forcing the National Council for Wages to meet for the first time six years after it was established.
On 30 December 2008, I sent a warning to the Minister for Economic Development, as he is the head of the National Council for Wages, to remind him the council had not met once since 2003.
Nagy Rashad
Worker
Minimum living wage in Egypt has remained fixed at 35 Egyptian Pounds ($6.5) per month since 1984.
I warned them to set a new minimum wage within fifteen days or else I would be forced to take legal action.
We went to the court and in the 7th session we won the case and a verdict was issued that obliged the Egyptian government to set a minimum living wage.
The Administrative Court issued a verdict on 30 March 2010 for the government to set a minimum living wage that correates with Egyptian living costs.
They falsely claim that the Egyptian opposition demands change without suggesting solutions or alternatives. The day we went to present an alternative economic proposition, there was no one to receive us.
The truth is they neither want to hear us nor believe in people's right to participation and democracy. And at the end of the day, we have a court verdict that supports us.
Why 1200 Egyptian Pounds ($220)?
When I first filed the lawsuit my salary was 368 EGP (67$) and sometimes reached 500 EGP (95$) with bonuses.
I am married and have five children, one studying in university, one in secondary school and three children in primary and prep school.
Today the average price of meat is 60 EGP ($11).
In the 70s, when the minimum wage was 16 EGP ($3), the same kilo of meat used to cost 1 EGP ($.2)
That means prices have gone up 6000%
The salary system in Egypt nowadays is absurd and should not remain one minute longer. No one can defend this corrupt and corrupting system.
Ahmed Al-Naggar
Economist
Workers started thnking about why they are demanding to live at the poverty line. From that, we started thinking that a minimum living wage should be no less than 1200 EGP ($220).
We found out that, according to the World Bank, a human being needs $2 a day to be able to live and produce. In Egypt reports show that each worker financially supports 4-5 people.
We decided to calculate that a worker will support only himself and three others, so they will need $8 a day.
How can people live? How can one send his son to school? How can one treat his ill son on these wages?
The government always responds by claiming that raising the living minimum wages and pensions will only mean explosive inflation in Egypt. In reality, this has nothing to do with efficiency. Our argument is about money changing hands, not about issuing more bank notes.
Chanting:
"Nazif (the Egyptian Prime Minister) also has a hand
as for the Investment Minister, he's the one who set it ablaze
there is no law that protects the workers."
Everything we are saying is good for development. If we manage to have a minimum living wage it will reduce unemployment.
Why? Because if I earn little, I will finish my day job and take a night job, so I am competing over a second job with the unemployed, but if my wage is sufficient, I will work once and not twice in a day, and thus leave a job opportunity for someone else.
Second a minimum living wage will allow people to spend on food, drink and clothes. Every penny I earn will go back to the market and capital will circulate.
For those who live in castles
we demand a maxmimum wage
For those living in graves
we demand a minimum living wage
We cannot turn a blind eye, we cannot pretend we do not see people suffering, while prices are skyrocketing
What is to be done?
Wage earners need to convey their message to the government in multiple ways, to show that they are determined to have a minimum living wage, and demand set prices in the market.
This could be done in an escalating way, first through messages sent to the president and the cabinet, second through street protests and third, civil disobedience.
People must refuse to go to work.
A court ruling will have no meaning if the people do not defend it.
Chanting:
Join us, join us, raise your voice
those who join us, will not die
Join us in upcoming actions to call for the implementation of the court decision to set a minimum living wage in Egypt.
Visit our website
http://21606.info
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