CAIRO — Egypt's parliamentary Labor Committee held a meeting Feb. 19 to discuss the implementation of an initiative on the rights of the irregular labor force. The meeting followed President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s call on Feb. 8 to provide insurance for irregular workers who have no social security, pensions or health coverage.

Estimated at some 18 million, Egypt’s irregular workforce includes those working in bakeries, mines, household services and agriculture, as well as taxi drivers, migrant workers, roving wage laborers, construction workers and all other daily workers.

The parliament committee recommended the creation of a special committee for the irregular labor force, drawing in the ministries of Labor, Social Solidarity and Health, alongside the public sector, the Ministry of Finance, the Federation of Egyptian Industries, the Egyptian Trade Union Federation, Egyptian Federation for Construction and Building Contractors and the National Population Council. The aim of the committee would be to study the legal treatment and status of irregular workers, while providing social security and health insurance coverage, with the possibility of establishing a specific independent body for such type of labor.

Mohamed Wahab Allah, the Labor Committee’s vice president, told the press following a parliament session on Feb. 19, “We recommend the formation of a committee by the concerned parties to discuss the establishment of an independent commission for irregular workers with branches in [all Egyptian] provinces. This includes the labor force that is not covered by the labor law and has no employer or contracts.”