As Emmanuel Macron heads to Egypt, activists are calling on the French president to address abuses at [the Alexandria Shipyard Company] building battleships in partnership with a French company, [Naval Group]. 

Labour rights violations have proceeded under the noses of managerial staff of the French company, Naval Group, according to the 45-page report, “Striking Back: Egypt’s Attack on Labour Rights Defenders”… 

The Front Line Defenders report states that during the two-year labour dispute – which saw civilian workers in police stations and military tribunals while their lawyers faced intimidation by the Egyptian military – Naval Group staff had a “permanent presence” at the factory as per the 2014 contract agreement…

When asked about the allegations, Naval Group Press Relations Director Emmanuel Gaudez declined to comment. In an emailed response to FRANCE 24, Gaudez noted, 

“The Egyptian shipyard is not the subcontractor of Naval Group. We have no leeway to intervene in labour-related matters. The Alexandria Shipyard (ASY) is a public construction site governed by Egyptian law; we do not intervene in internal affairs. The Egyptian Ministry of Defence has a direct contract at the Alexandria Shipyard in Egypt. Alexandria Shipyard (ASY) is a public shipyard whose personnel are managed according to Egyptian law...”