As the scale and scope of the pandemic has been growing globally each day since its inception, so has its impact on the life of workers and their communities.

One of Better Work’s core tenets is the safeguard of worker health and safety at the workplace, whose importance is even more crucial now. In collaboration with its partners across nine countries, the programme has engaged in a relentless information campaign aimed to raise awareness on the risk of infection and prevention measures factories should implement and workers observe.

Egypt is no exception.

Throughout the crisis, Egypt’s Ministry of Manpower, the SLARIE project and the Dutch-funded ACCEL Africa Project and their partners have concentrated their efforts on the implementation and supervision of preventive measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus at the workplace and across the factory floor in particular.

Five hundred and twenty-seven Ministry of Manpower -capacitated OSH field inspectors have worked to address concerns and doubts on the ground concerning measures to avert infection. Capacity building happened through regular tele-advisory sessions, which targeted field inspectors and OSH officers at the enterprise level.

Egypt’s Ministry of Manpower and ILO have also developed COVID-19 awareness posters, shedding light on symptoms and prevention measures at the workplace. Posters have been shared through the Ministry’s website as well as through the Federation of Egyptian Industries and workers’ organizations platforms. Five thousand printed copies have also been distributed among their respective members.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Manpower, local partners have also developed a COVID-19 precautionary manual. Around 30,000 printed copies have been distributed to tripartite constituents and enterprises so far.