Egypt and ILO unite to boost industrial productivity and working conditions

Cairo, Egypt (ILO News)– The Ministry of Industry and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have signed a pivotal project document entitled "Productivity Ecosystems for Decent Work in Egypt: Improving Productivity and Strengthening Working Conditions in Key Industrial Sectors." This initiative supports President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's vision to advance the industrial sector and position Egypt as a regional industrial hub. The Ministry of Industry is dedicated to strengthening various industrial sectors, including leather and marble, by enhancing productivity and improving the working environment.

The document was signed by Lieutenant General Engineer Kamel El-Wazir, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport, and Eric Oechslin, Director of the ILO Cairo office. The event was attended by H.E. Mohamed Gebran, Minister of Labour; H.E. Michele Quaroni, Italian Ambassador to Cairo; Dr. Martino Melli, Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in Cairo; Dr. Hani Mahmoud, Member of the Board of Directors of the Federation of Egyptian Industries and Chairman of the Labour Committee at the Federation; along with several senior officials from the Ministries of Industry, Transport, Planning, Economic Development, and international Cooperation..

Deputy Prime Minister El-Wazir emphasized that the project aims to increase productivity and improve working conditions in key industrial sectors, particularly the marble sector in Shaq Al-Thu’ban and the leather sector in El-Robeky. Additionally, the project will conduct a preliminary assessment of productivity and working conditions in the Egyptian furniture industry.

He highlighted that this project is funded by the Italian government with a budget of 2.5 million euros. It will run for three years and include training programs, consultations, and technical assistance at both sectoral and SME levels. This initiative aims to strengthen the capacity of local institutions, particularly the technological centers affiliated with the Ministry of Industry.

Noting that Egypt's industrial and transport sectors offer significant employment opportunities, El-Wazir stressed the need to promote a culture of hard work and productivity to benefit the Egyptian economy. He added that the project is in line with Egypt's national strategies, such as Egypt's Vision 2023, the National Structural Reform Programme 2021-2024, the National Strategy for the Empowerment of Egyptian Women 2030, and the state's focus on developing micro, small and medium enterprises and promoting an entrepreneurial culture. It also supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

In his speech, Eric Oechslin, Director of the ILO Cairo Office, reiterated the ILO’s commitment to achieving decent work for all, a core principle of the ILO Social Justice Coalition. This coalition aims to promote social justice globally by fostering multilateral partnerships and accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

He further clarified that improving working conditions and increasing productivity are essential for sustainable development. The ILO programme, which is currently operational in countries such as South Africa, Ghana, and Vietnam, is now being launched in Egypt. It aims to identify productivity challenges in key industrial sectors, develop effective strategies to address them, and build the necessary capacity in line with international standards.

"Our collaboration with Egyptian constituents (government, employers, and workers), and development partners, in support of H.E. President El-Sisi’s initiatives to strengthen economic resilience and sustainable development, will enable us to successfully implement this project and promote a more productive working environment in specific sectors across Egypt,” concluded Oechslin.

This project involves several local bodies, including the Ministries of Labour, Planning and Economic Development, International Cooperation, the Federation of Egyptian Industries, trade unions, the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency, the Industrial Modernization Centre, and the Industrial Training Council.

It also complements another initiative by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in Egypt, entitled "Technical Support for Industrial Zones for Leather, Furniture, and Marble," which aims to support these three economic sectors through the development of industrial clusters. While this project will improve the performance of the technological centres affiliated with the Ministry of Industry, the ILO’s project will focus on strengthening the capacity of stakeholders at the sectoral level to increase productivity and improve working conditions.

At the same time, the project will work at the micro level with targeted enterprises within the three industrial zones, helping them to increase productivity, improve working conditions, and address gaps in decent work practices.