Launching ceremony of the safety campaign “Salamtak Bel Donia” (Your safety is your life).
Cairo October, 4th 2007. A large iftar (the evening meal for breaking the daily fast during the holy month of Ramadan) held at Kattameya plant (Suez Cement Company), witnessed the launch of the national safety campaign “Salamtak Bel Donia” (Your Safety is Your Life) promoted by Suez Cement group of Companies (SCGC) in cooperation with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Egyptian Ministry of Manpower and Migration.
The main purpose of this campaign that is carried out with the involvement of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, the Egyptian Trade Union Federation, the Federation of Egyptian Industries and the popular Egyptian singer Shaaban Abdel Rahim -who wrote a special song for this campaign-, is to promote a safety culture in the cement industry by raising awareness about the importance of safety and accident prevention principles and methods. This nation-wide campaign utilizes media such as (TV and Radio) in addition to printed materials as posters in the streets and public transportation to disseminate widely occupational safety and health messages.
The guests attended the Iftar, included H.E. Mrs. Aisha Abdel Hady, Minister of Manpower and Migration, H.E. Claudio Pacifico, Italian Ambassador in Cairo, Mr. Hussein Megawer, President of the Egyptian Trade Union Federation (ETUF) and Ms. Loretta de Luca Director ILO Sub-regional Office for North Africa in Cairo. The esteemed attendees were welcomed by Mr. Roberto Callieri, Managing Director of Suez Cement group of Companies. In addition to a number of media and press members and industry men, as well as representatives of the Federation of Egyptian Industries, Suez Cement Board of Directors and a large number of the Company’s employees and workers with their families.SCGC acts as a giant investment entity which believes and committed to its social role and striving to have an effective role in contributing to the social development of its community.
As a matter of fact, SCGC choose to start with the awareness campaign for every Egyptian worker through the safety campaign “Salamtak Bel Donia”. This was clear in the speech of Mr. Roberto Callieri, Managing Director of SCGC, who said: “Our Company attaches great attention to health and safety at work and ensure the dissemination of a corporate culture of safety across all Suez Cement's activities. As a matter of fact, our Company started to adopt in January 2006 "Zero Accidents" approach to promote a preventive approach to reduce work related accidents and diseases.
Although we have reduced the frequency rate by about 30% over the last year, and two of our plants, El Minya plant and Suez Bags plant have successfully achieved zero accidents, we have nonetheless set some tough targets for further improvements. This campaign is an important complementary tool to our Zero Accidents project to promote improved prevention at the workplace level by involving not only the workers but also their families and all the relevant stakeholders. We believe that the families of our workers can play a key role: alert the worker to potential dangers and encouraging him to wear the Personal Protective Equipment and seek help if he is uncertain about job site practices.”
As for Ms. Loretta de Luca, Director of ILO Sub-regional Office for North Africa in Cairo, she asserted that the campaign depends on convincing wives and children to activate their role in disseminating vocational safety and health culture.
While Mr. Hussein Megawer, President of the Egyptian Trade Union Federation (ETUF), confirmed that Egypt has a great position internationally in the cement industry through giant companies, leaded by Suez Cement Company. Mr. Hussein Megawer wished that this campaign could be extended to other industries like: textile, spinning, quarries, mining and food industry.
Afterwards H.E. Mrs. Aisha Abdel Hady, Minister of Manpower and Migration expressed her pleasure to attend this important event on the launching of the safety campaign “Salamtak Bel Donia” with its noble human aim. H.E. wished that this campaign, adopted by Suez Cement Company, could be a role model for the private and investment sectors in Egypt to follow.
“This pilot project represents an exemplary model of strong bilateral cooperation and social responsibility by one of the world leading companies in the sector, of which Italy cannot but be proud of. I deem it worth to build up on the ILO-Suez Cement initiative “Salamtak Bel Donia” and it is therefore my firm intention to involve in this activity the Italian Ministry of Labour and all the relevant Italian authorities (trade unions, specialized agencies, technical and professional schools…..)” concluded H.E. Claudio Pacifico, Italian Ambassador in Cairo.
