Egypt's Ministry of International Cooperation (MIC) along with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) announced the expansion of their joint Better Work programme, as part of governmental efforts to support the country's development process, a ministerial statement said on Tuesday. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, MIC's Minister Rania Al-Mashat, and Minister of Public Enterprise Sector Hesham Tawfik attended the launch ceremony of the programme's expansion, the statement added. The ILO convened a workshop on the programme's main goals and vision, in the presence of Minister of Manpower Mohamed Saafan, in addition to representatives from the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI) and labour unions to enrich the discussions. During the workshop, government participants highlighted their efforts improving the labour environment in Egypt in light of the presidential directives, the statement mentioned, noting that raising the minimum wages is an attempt to protect vulnerable categories. For her part, Al-Mashat expressed her aspiration to deepen cooperation between the Egyptian government and the ILO in the coming period in order to expand the Better Work programme, which was the product of long and intensive consultations between the two sides over the past months. The government is determined to achieving its strategic goals, to creating businesses encouraging environment in Egypt through good labour practices that contribute to achieving sustainable economic growth in line with the eighth sustainable development goal (SDG), which is "Decent work and economic growth," Al-Mashat mentioned. The Better Work programme will continue to assist companies working in textile sectors, Al-Mashat said, noting that textile is a labour intensive sector and the ILO plans to increase its support for textile companies via technical programmes that help companies expand their exports. About 30 textile companies have already benefited from the Better Work programme, all of whom are exporters, Al-Mashat said, adding that the Egyptian government believes in the importance of improving workers' work environment and living conditions.
