ATUC Follows Chemical Workers’ Protest and Ongoing Strikes in Sugar Factories
The Arab Trade Union Confederation (ATUC) is closely following the ongoing labor actions in Egypt’s sugar and food industries. On Monday, September 8, 2025, workers at the Chemicals Factory in Hawamdiya, Giza, organized a protest demanding wage increases and the payment of overdue allowances dating back to 2017.
This latest protest comes amid a wave of strikes across the affiliated factories of the Sugar and Integrated Industries Company. Workers at the sugar factories in Edfo and Kom Ombo (Aswan) have been on strike for more than two weeks, later joined by their colleagues in Armant (Luxor) and Deshna (Qena), demanding overdue allowances, higher cash and meal allowances, and the disbursement of the recently announced presidential grant.
Workers in Aswan have also voiced strong objections to the recent deduction of at least 700 EGP monthly from their wages for the new national health insurance scheme, calling instead for the establishment of a dedicated workers’ hospital within the factories.
Additionally, bus drivers responsible for transporting workers in Hawamdiya held their own protest demanding higher wages, while workers at the Equipment Factory staged a one-day strike before returning to work after management pledged to address their demands.
The ATUC reiterates its full solidarity with Egyptian workers and their legitimate demands. It calls on the Egyptian government and the relevant authorities to urgently respond to workers’ grievances, improve their living and working conditions, and guarantee their right to peaceful protest and collective bargaining, in line with international labor standards and conventions.
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