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New trade union law undermines freedom of association in Egypt

Egypt’s parliament approved a draft law on the regulation of trade unions, which independent unions criticized for failing to protect the workers’ right to association.
Staff and workers of Egypt's Ministry of Finance Tax Authority shout slogans against Finance Minister Hany Kadry Dimian and the government during a protest in front of the Syndicate of Journalists in Cairo, August 10, 2015. Trade union workers staged the protest to demand the abolition of the Civil Service Law and a minimum and a maximum wage for public servants, local media reported.  REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh - GF20000019149
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CAIRO — The Egyptian parliament approved Dec. 5 the trade union draft law that has been widely criticized by Egyptian independent trade unions as furthering strict government control over these groups, raising questions about the future of the labor movements in Egypt.

The draft law was prepared by the Egypt's Labor Ministry in 2016 as an alternative to the Trade Union law No. 35 of 1976. The draft was approved by the Egyptian government in January, and approved in principle by the Egyptian parliament on Nov. 7. The parliament issued its final approval of the draft law in its fifth plenary session Dec. 5.

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