The introduction of a new minimum wage for state employees will not be postponed to January as the Federation of Egyptian Industries demands, Minister of Manpower Ahmed Hassan al-Borai said Tuesday. On 1 June, Finance Minister Samir Radwan announced that the government would increase the state employee minimum wage from less than LE100 to LE700, with a plan to increase it to LE1200 over five years. At a forum held at the Egyptian Center for Economic Studies, Borai said the move was intended to fulfill the demands of Egyptians and absorb their anger, so it shouldn't be postponed. Delaying the introduction of a new minimum wage would lead to a social revolution, he warned. The Ministry of Finance is also examining the possibility of increasing bonuses approved for pensioners in 2008 from 20 to 30 percent and abolishing the maximum bonus limit of LE100. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Radwan said the move is intended to achieve equality between pensioners and state employees. Translated from the Arabic Edition
