Just days after the Egyptian government began enforcing the new Labor Law No. 14 of 2025, promoted as a step toward protecting workers\u2019 rights, the country witnessed a tragic incident: a baby girl, not yet four months old, lost her life after her mother, Doaa Mohamed\u2014a worker at \u201cNile Linen Group\u201d for textiles and home furnishings in Alexandria\u2014was prevented from leaving the workplace to take her sick child to the hospital.<\/p>\n
The company\u2019s management refused to grant her leave, or even a short permission slip, and she was held inside the factory for three continuous hours, trying to secure authorization to exit through the company gate.<\/p>\n
This harrowing incident exposed the harsh conditions endured by many workers in factories and companies, where some pay with their lives as a result of unfair regulations, weak government oversight of employers, and the absence of an effective role for independent unions in protecting their rights, according to labor and human rights organizations and experts in the field. Under such circumstances, the workplace turns into a source of pressure and danger instead of a safe environment that guarantees dignity and basic rights.<\/p>\n
Doaa Mohamed had returned to her job just ten days after finishing her maternity leave, only to discover that her infant had contracted a stomach infection requiring hospitalization. She tried to obtain leave by calling the company\u2019s management, but her request was denied. This forced her to bring her child along to work, fearing a financial deduction that could reach 2,000 pounds ($40) if she missed two consecutive days, according to eyewitnesses who spoke to Zawia3<\/em>.<\/p>\n \n HCWW Workers in Egypt: Exploitation and Wages Below Minimum Wage<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n