ILO approves implementing Better Work Program in Egypt

CAIRO - 1 July 2017: The International Labor Organization (ILO) approved implementing Better Work Program in 30 companies in Egypt in the clothes sector starting from July till December.

The program will be applied in other firms and sectors after this phase.

The organization underlined that implementing the program came to recognize the progress achieved by the Egyptian cabinet.

This came in a message to the Manpower Minister Ibrahim Safan from the ILO's Deputy Director-General for Policy Deborah Greenfield.

She reviewed, in her message, sending two technical missions by the ILO during March and May 2017 to determine the technical aspects needed to allow Egypt join the program.

For his part, Safan stressed that the ILO's approval to implement the program in Egypt came after serious steps taken by the government represented by the ministries of manpower, trade as well as industry, international cooperation, investment and foreign affairs.

Egypt has officially demanded to join the Better Work Program to improve work conditions in the clothes sector.

The program assists enterprises improve practices based on core ILO labor standards and national labor law. It does this with a strong emphasis on improving worker-management cooperation, working conditions and social dialogue. Enhancing respect for labor standards helps enterprises meet the social compliance demands of global buyers, improves conditions for workers, and helps firms become more competitive by increasing productivity and quality.