After lending its hypocritical support for the 1000+strong workers’ strike at the Tanta Flax and Oil Company, located in Mit Hebeish (by Tanta’s southern entrance), the corrupt, state-backed General Federation of Trade Unions and the General Union of Textile Workers have instructed tonight the Factory Union Committee (FCU) members to suspend the strike action, saying the “problem was solved,” without presenting to the strike leaders any written agreement with the Saudi investor or the government.
Said el-Gohary, the head of the General Union of Textile Workers, according to one of the strike leaders present in the meeting, told the FCU members to immediately disband the industrial action, “verbally telling us we’ll get the bonuses and an increase in the food allowance, without any mention of the return of sacked workers, or the future of the company under this Saudi investor who has sucked our blood. The company has to go back to the public sector or they should leave it for us to run it. And above all that, he (Gohary) asked us to thank the (Labor) Minister and Hussein Megawer (head of the federation) for their ‘efforts!'”
One strike leader exploded in Gohary’s face: “You know Naksset ’67?! This is like Naksset ’67!” referring to the 1967 defeat in front of Israel which has become only second to doomsday in Egyptian slang when describing a catastrophe.
I spoke with two FCU members on the phone as they were heading back to Nile Delta. There was so much noise in the car. People were shouting and arguing in anger. They were clearly unhappy. I could hear in the background one interrupting an FCU member while speaking to me about details of the meeting, asking him nervously “who’s that you are talking to over the phone?!” The other strike leader answered: “It’s Hossam el-Hamalawy.” I could hear the other guy’s hysterically screaming: “TELL HIM THE SCANDAL! TELL HIM THE SCANDAL!” followed by more noise in the car and a fluctuating mobile phone signal.
“We will update everyone in the factory tomorrow morning, and it will their decision,” said the FCU. “If the suspension of the strike is refused, we will continue no matter what.”
The two strike leaders I spoke with are clearly against the suspension, but my sources also confirm there are severe divisions within the ranks of the leadership at the moment. Some have become tired after 72 days of striking in the middle of nowhere in the Nile Delta, besieged by the police and banned from media coverage, and steadily financially drained, thanks to the Federation.
What is the balance of power at the moment? It is not clear. It will be settled tomorrow morning on the factory floor… The strikers will have the last word…
My heart and thoughts go out to the brave men and women workers of the Tanta Flax and Oil Company…