NWC Raises Minimum Wage to 6000 EGP for Private Sector Workers Starting May 2024

The National Wages Council (NWC) has announced an increase in the minimum wage for private sector workers to 6000 Egyptian pounds, effective May 2024. 

The decision was made during today’s council meeting chaired by H.E. Dr. Hala El Said, Minister of Planning and Economic Development. 

The meeting was attended by Dr. Ali El-Meselhi, Minister of Supply and Internal Trade; Dr. Mahmoud Esmat, Minister of Public Business Sector; Hassan Shehata, Minister of Labor; Dr. Nevine El Qabbaj, Minister of Social Solidarity; Dr. Maya Morsi, Chairperson of the National Council for Women; Major General Kheirat Barakat, Head of the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMS); Dr. Saleh El-Sheikh, Head of the Central Agency for Organization and Administration; Kamal Nasr, Assistant Minister of Planning for Technical Office Affairs; Dr. Hanan Nazeer, Director of the Labor Market Policies Unit at the Ministry of Planning and Advisor to the National Wages Council, as well as representatives of labor unions, heads of workers’ unions in Egypt, and chambers of commerce and industry.

Dr. Hala El Said emphasized that raising the minimum wage is aimed at safeguarding the interests of workers, especially considering recent internal and external economic developments. She highlighted the government’s commitment to achieving a balance between the interests of employers and workers amidst current challenges. Additionally, she emphasized the government’s efforts to uphold workers’ rights, ensure decent living standards, stabilize establishments, and enhance productivity to support the country’s development process.

Dr. Hala El Said provided an overview of the development of the minimum wage for private sector workers, which increased from 2400 Egyptian pounds in January 2022 to 2700 in January 2023, then to 3000 in July 2023, and further to 3500 in January last year. The new wage of 6000 pounds encompasses all wage components, including the employer’s share in social security contributions.

Small-scale projects with fewer than 10 workers are exempted from this decision. A complaints and appeals window of 3 months will be provided to the complaints committee chaired by the Minister of Labor.

Hassan Shehata, Minister of Labor, reiterated that this decision aligns with the directives of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to provide greater care, protection, and support for workers, who are the backbone of production. He emphasized the importance of enhancing labor relations between employers and workers to improve living standards and create a conducive work environment that fosters increased production. 

Minister Shehata stated that following the issuance of the decision by the National Wages Council, the ministry will send periodic letters to its labor directorates across all governorates of Egypt, providing details on the executive rules and procedures for implementing the decision within establishments in accordance with Labor Law No. 12 of 2003.