The International Labor Organization (ILO) has classified Egypt among the 25 states most in violation of international labor conventions. The organization on Monday said that Egypt had failed to implement its earlier recommendations in terms of labor-related legislation. It also said that labor conditions in Egypt were deteriorating, union freedoms were being violated and security forces were being employed to disperse labor demonstrations. At a conference currently underway in Geneva, Switzerland, the ILO turned down a request by the Egyptian government to remove Egypt's name from a blacklist of countries that regularly violate ILO conventions. It also rejected an Egyptian request to postpone the scheduled questioning of Egyptian officials until the finalization of a report by the organization's technical cooperation committee, which visited Cairo last April. The organization plans to question the Egyptian government on alleged labor violations at its general assembly next Wednesday. Sources speaking on condition of anonymity said that Egypt's failure to improve its position would only serve to hurt its international image. Abdel Moneim el-Ghazaly, who is heading Egypt's delegation to the Geneva conference, for his part, urged the ILO to give Egypt until the end of 2011 to rectify its position. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
