Egypt holds first workers union elections after Labor Unions Act’s passage

Egypt held the first workers union elections in 12 years yesterday, Gulf News reports. The vote comes six months after the contentious Labor Unions Act, which regulates the formation and activities of workers unions, passed the House of Representatives. The legislation earned the ire of many as it made its way through Parliament, including the International Labor Organization, the World Federation of Trade Unions, and the Egyptian Federation of Trade Unions for being too restrictive to union activity and freedom. The law does not allow for the formation of independent unions. Some unionists speaking to Gulf News also say the process was “rushed” to get Egypt removed from the ILO’s “blacklist” for allegedly violating workers’ rights.