The Human Rights Association for the Assistance of Prisoners Campaign

Hand in Hand for Combating Torture in Egypt

Cairo: 13/9/2004

Cairo: 13/9/2004

Secretaries general and representatives of the professional unions agree on the declaring principles to guarantee the democracy and independence of the unions

The workshop of “A Democratic Alternative for Law No. 100 of the Professional Unions” organized by Human Rights Association for the Assistance of Prisoners and The Egyptian Organization for Training and Human Rights has concluded with agreement on a democratic principle represent the suitable legal basis for guaranteeing the democracy of the union organizations and maintaining its independency and confirming their members’ right to choose the council’s members without restraints or any administrative interventions.

 The workshop, held in Journalists Union on Monday, September 12, 2004, discussed the work paper presented by the organizers of the workshop with the attendance of representatives and secretaries general of professional unions. The discussions declared, that took place throughout three hours and half, the flagrant defects of law No. 100/1993 and its amendments in 1995 that led to freezing the activities of many unions and wasted the phase of independency of other unions and gave a chance to non-union authorities to intervene in the core if its affairs and contracted the authority of the General Assembly, which is the owner of the right of unions’ affair management. The law impeded many unions’ reform and modernization missions and contribution to society development.

According to the union work and the great history of Egypt in the nongovernmental activities and the achievements of unions such as general democratic principles, maintain its independency and confirm its role in the national and developmental work, the participants were inspired a general frame that the suitable basis for completing the democratic, social and national role of unions and confirm its adherence to its achievements for unions over the great struggle.

The Democratic Principles Declaration

The participants agreed on the following principles for guaranteeing the democracy of the union organization and confirming the maintenance of unions’ rules and sticking to the right of every union to amend its rules according to it reality.

1-      The confirmation on the independency of unions work and not allowing at any rate the state intervention or parties in its affairs.

2-      The confirmation on the principles of the democratic practices for the unions work and avoiding mixing between the benefits and targets of unions and parties

3-      The confirmation on the authority of elected councils to general assemblies to manage and direct unions’ affairs according to the mentioned rules in the law of each union.

4-      Recognizing the unions’ right to submit draft laws to improve its rules of its general assemblies approval and acknowledge its right to give its opinion in draft laws that relates to the benefits and rights of the members.

5-      Confirmation on the disciplinary authority of unions on its members according to honor compliance charter.

6-      The authority of unions on its tables is maintained and it is not allowed to any body to intervene in registration and membership affairs with confirming the right of members to go to the entitled authority to appeal the illegal situations.

7-      Confirmation on the authorities of the elected councils in organizing and conducting elections according the set time and specified premises.

8-      Uniting the necessary legal fees for the validity of holding the regular general assembly and conducting elections for each union with fee of 40% at first time and the attendance has to be with 10% at second time. In case of not completing, the elected council continues his work for not more than six months to hold the session of the general assembly during this period.                                                                                                              (bearing in mind that the People’s Assembly, Shura council and professional unions do not need certain fees in re-conducting elections)

9-      Excluding the judicial supervision to voting and counting votes and declaring results.

10-   Enabling the professional unions to amend their laws to conform to the current reality on the light of the new occurrences to facilitate election and increasing their financial resources.

 The workshop was taken part by Dr. Hamdy Al Sayed “representative of doctors”, Mr. Fayez Lawendy “member of the General Union Council for Lawyers and representative of Lawyers Representative Mr. Sameh Ashour”, Dr. Mahmoud Abdel Maksoud “Secretary General Of Pharmacist Union”, Mr. Yahia Kallash “Secretary General Of Journalists Union”, Mr. Sa’ed Al Far “Member of Professional Secretariat in the National Party and member of the General Union Council for Lawyers preciously”, Mr. Nasr Anbar “Secretary General of Applicants Union”, Dr. Sheriff Kasem “Secretary General Of Commercials in Cairo and Secretary General of the Joint Professional Union work secretariat”, Mr. Gamal Tag “member of the Council of the General Union for Lawyers” Engineer. Abul Ela Mady “the previous Assistant Secretary General of Engineers Union”, Engineer. Amr Abdallah “member of Engineers Assembly Guard. The workshop was conducted by Mr. Raga’y Al Merghany “previous Prime Deputy of Journalism Union”.

Mr. Sa’ed Al Far declared, during the workshop proceedings, that the national party has withdrawn a draft law intended to be considered by the annual party and decided to discuss general ideas and inclinations would be shown and discussed with the professional unions and parties after the conference conclusion.

 Mr. Yahia Kallash declared that the union will organize another workshop to discuss developing unions conditions that will be attended by Dr. Mofeed Shehab the minister of Al Shura council affairs and secretary of the professionals in the national party and representatives and general secretaries of unions after the conference of the national party only if the democratic frame is a basis of discussion

The participants asserted their adherence to the principle of discussion for unions’ conditions reform asserting that there is no true political reform in Egypt without developing unions’ conditions and maintaining their independency and confirming their right to manage their affairs and developing their resources contribute into society development.