CAIRO: The National Committee for Salaries approved a 700 EGP ($115) a month as the minimum wage for private business, in a meeting on Thursday. Setting a minmum wage has been a long time demand of the Egyption labor force, and public sector workers were demanding 1200 EGP, which was approved by a Cairo administrative court last year, yet the government stalled in executing the court's decision until now. The new decision will only apply to companies with more than 10 employees. Minister of Labor Ahmed al-Boraie said that the decision will benefit those making less than the minimum wage by giving them what is being called a “emergency bonus” to fill the gap between what they get paid now and the minimum wage. The decision will go into action starting January of next year. BM
