Security workers at Madinaty, a major real estate development project owned by Talaat Moustafa Group, have submitted a formal complaint to management demanding improved working conditions, including higher wages, shorter shifts, and permanent contracts, according to two workers who spoke to Al Manassa.
In a written petition submitted to site management, the workers—employed by Alexandria Construction Company, a TMG subsidiary—called on the company to adhere to Labor Law No. 14 of 2025, specifically Articles 117–131, which regulate working hours, breaks, and annual leave entitlements.
“We work 12-hour shifts without overtime pay, and they still refuse to give us our full annual leave,” said one guard, speaking anonymously for fear of retaliation.
The guards are also demanding an increase in their monthly meal allowance, currently capped at 1,000 Egyptian pounds, which is less than half of the 2,200 pounds (around $47) reportedly allocated to other departments.
Many of the guards live in company-provided housing for up to 23 consecutive days, surviving on a daily 30-pound meal stipend that, as one worker put it, “doesn’t even cover a single proper meal.”
“We’re treated like machines. We work like slaves, and still can’t make ends meet,” he added.
A second worker described their situation as nothing short of “forced labor.” He said most security staff spend at least two hours commuting daily on top of their 12-hour shifts—all unpaid.
“We’ve complained more than once. Management just tells us, ‘this is the system.’ What about the law that says eight hours a day? They ignore it,” he said.
Guards say they are forced to sign short-term contracts every year, blocking them from building seniority or claiming full-time employment benefits.
Madinaty is one of Egypt’s largest private urban developments. Located on Cairo’s eastern edge, it stretches across more than 8,000 acres and is estimated to house over 600,000 residents.
The gated city boasts international schools, golf courses, shopping centers, and luxury villas. TMG markets it as a blueprint for modern living in Egypt.
Earlier this month, security workers staged a protest at the Madinaty site to demand better conditions. They were told their demands would be “reviewed” when annual salary adjustments are considered next year.
“They just want to stall,” one guard said. “We’ve heard this all before.”
Workers claim the same exploitative practices extend across other TMG projects, including the Noor and Celia compounds in the New Administrative Capital, and at construction sites in Alamein and Marsa Matrouh.
After the protest, several workers were reportedly called in for internal disciplinary hearings and were warned not to organize further.
Notably, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi decreed a 50% increase in the minimum wage for private sector workers which went into effect in May of this year, raising it to 6,000 pound monthly.
This is not the first time TMG’s labor practices have come under fire. In August of last year, Madinaty security guards had organized a protest at the company’s central offices, demanding wage increases. Their demands, workers say, remain unaddressed.
