I was on the phone earlier with a Socialist activist who was involved in the Mahalla strike.
He asserted the mood was euphoric among the workers following the victory they achieved, and there’s a general sense of empowerment among them.
And, “this is just the beginning,” he said. “The other textile workers in Kafr el-Dawar and elsewhere have been watching what Mahalla was doing. I expect a good number of strikes to take place in these coming months. Most of the issues over which the factories struck last winter and spring remain unresolved. The promises (from the managers and govt officials) always revolved around ‘we will give you what you want, but with the start of the new financial year.’ Well, the financial year started mid July and the workers expected the govt to deliver, which didn’t happen in most of the cases. Now, with the victory of Mahalla, others will be encouraged to repeat what happened in their own factories.”