Over 4 months..Cairo Appeal Court proceeds to consider the appeals filed by Universal Appliance Company against the rulings for compensations and return to work in favor of the dismissed workers

Since last April till next July, Cairo Appeal Court, Labor Circuit continues considering the appeals filed by Universal Home Appliances Company against dozens of rulings obtained by the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights by rejecting a lawsuit to dismiss the workers and decided compensations for others, together with paying their delayed financial dues.

The Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR) had filed 60 lawsuits in favor of a group of workers in Universal Home Appliances Company against the decisions of the company’s administration to dismiss them, in addition to delaying the payment of their financial dues. In 55 lawsuits, the Labor Circuit decided to reject the proceedings of the company’s order of dismissal, and judged with their right to continue working, in addition to paying their financial dues. 

Moreover, the Court ruled in three other cases to pay a compensation amounting to 420.000 in favor of the workers against their arbitrary dismissal, and two lawsuits ended with a reconciliation with the company’s administration.

The Egyptian Center praises the issuance of rulings in favor of the workers, in a record time within few months. It is worth mentioning that (ECESR) had filed lawsuits in favor of them between the end of August to the beginning of September 2022, then the Court issued its decisions in a shorter duration than the usual duration in such lawsuits according to the conviction and conscience of the court through the filed documents and the plea of the defense team regarding the injustice against workers and their dire and inhumane situation.

The rulings were final and decisive in acknowledging and asserting that the workers did not violate the law, and that the company’s accusation of the workers of committing a strike in order to disrupt work flow is a false claim that lacks seriousness and reason. It is worth mentioning that before filing the lawsuits whether related to the company as to dismiss the workers or from the workers themselves for experiencing injustice, the workers knocked all possible doors before resorting to the Labor Court.

Workers filed complaints to the Ministry of Manpower which in turn mediated an agreement between the company and workers to schedule the payment of their financial dues. Moreover, the filed complaints to the Human Rights Committee in the House of Representatives and the Prime Ministry, in addition to complaints filed to the Manpower Bureau of the Manpower Directorate in Giza.

During the past months, the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights received 60 complaints regarding arbitrary dismissal from the workers of Universal Group, as the company’s management violated the collective labor agreements which were previously signed among it and the workers’ representatives, and in the presence of representatives of the Ministry of Manpower.

The Center’s lawyers were surprised when they found out that the Company’s legal representative submitted requests to the Labor Court to dismiss the workers, in a new episode of manipulation of the workers’ fate, while putting them under the pressure of being dismissed and deprived of their wages, in light of the absence of any tangible role of the responsible bodies affiliated to the Ministry of Manpower and Immigration.

The Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights indicated that wage manipulation is not the only crisis that workers face, as they face a crisis in the absence of some occupational safety and health factors in the workplace, which led to the injury of a number of them with cirrhosis, kidney diseases, and limb injuries that led to its amputation, according to their affidavit.

The Center expressed its hope that the Court would issue its decision to reject the company’s appeals against the rulings in favor of the workers’ right to return to work, the disbursement of their financial dues and compensations to the arbitrarily dismissed workers in order to achieve justice for their rights, especially in light of the deterioration of the current economic conditions.

ECESR expressed its concerns regarding the instability in the company’s wages and salaries system which resulted in stopping production in its factories and exposing workers to face poor living and material conditions which led to five suicide attempts among them, in addition to other crises.