I received the following message from Turkey…
SOLIDARTY MESSAGE FOR MAHALLA WORKERS
Tekstil-Sen, an independent trade union of the textile workers in Turkey, declared solidarity with the hunger striker worker leaders in Egypt.
Tekstil-Sen made a press statement today for condemning the anti-democratic practices of the Egyptian state and government over the Ghazl el Mahalla textile workers’ strike on 6th April. In the press statement where it is emphasized that imprisonment of 3 Ghazl el Mahalla workers in illegal it is said:
“Capitalism both in the world and in our country is imposing slavish working conditions to the working class. The situation of the Egyptian textile workers is an example of this. Egyptian textile workers continue their struggle to organize for two years for a human life. In Mahalla city, 25 thousand textile workers started a strike on 6th April in order to increase their wages and to maintain human working conditions. Egyptian state and government imposed state terror over the striking textile workers. They killed 7 people, including one child. Hundreds of workers are wounded and hundreds are detained and tortured. 3 worker leaders are arrested after being tortured under custody for 4 days. As in all capitalist countries in Egypt too the state showed that it is defending the interests of the capitalist class. 3 arrested workers stated that they started a hunger strike since more than a week and they will resist to death with a letter and called for class solidarity from the whole world.
As Tekstil-Sen, we salute the hunger strike of the 3 Egyptian workers who resist for their labor and honour. We send them the international solidarity feelings of the working class. We call all workers and laborers and labor organizations of the world to solidarity.
We condemn the aggressive and murdering attitude of the Egpytian state against the working class.
We demand:
-Those who are responsible for murdering 7 people including a child for starting a strike to be found and punished,
– Acceptance of the demands of the Egytian workers for their wages to be increased and for maintenance of human working conditions,
– Immediate release of the 3 workers under arrest and tortured and to be cured.
Solidarity Address with the Egyptian workers:
Kamal El-Fayyoumy, Tareq Amin, Karim El-Beheiry
Mahalla detainees
Borg el-Arab Prison
Wing 22, Cell 5 Alexandria/Egypt