In less than three hours, expect the Kafr el-Dawar Textile Mills, home to roughly 12000 workers, to come to a complete halt in solidarity with Ghazl el-Mahalla.
My heart and thoughts go out to the textile strikers in the Nile Delta.
Tag: beheira
Kafr el-Dawar set to strike tomorrow; Five Mahalla labor leaders charged
I received a new message from a Socialist journalist with updates on Kafr el-Dawar and Mahalla.
Here’s an English translation…
I’ve spoken with leaders in Kafr el-Dawar, and they said there will be a solidarity strike tomorrow (Tuesday) morning, and that the 12,000 workers in Kafr el-Dawar have added a set of demands specific to their conditions, like upgrading the factory hospital; restructuring the company bus service, as there are 70 buses in the company, almost all beyond expiry; looking into the problem of delayed promotions for a big number among them. During my talk with one of them, he told me there was a state of jealousy regarding the Ghazl el-Mahalla workers, and the men in Kafr el-Dawar want to prove they can do the same, as well as expressing their solidarity of course, and pressuring for their own demands.
The latest from Mahalla…
Five labor leaders were summoned to the State Security Prosecutor, on charges of sabotage and instigating riots. The workers are: (Muhammad) el-Attar, Faisal Laqousha, and three other workers you don’t know. I’ll bring you their names soon. The important thing is the workers are still on strike for the second day on the row. And now they added a new demand, which is the release of the five workers.
It’s 5:30am now in Oakland. I gotta get some sleep. I hope other bloggers and journalists will keep us updated.
My heart and thoughts go out to the Mahalla and Kafr el-Dawar workers.
Kafr el-Dawar textile workers to strike on Tuesday in solidarity with Mahalla
YES! The news I was awaiting for has finally arrived. Kafr el-Dawar Textile Workers for Change have announced they are mobilizing for a strike Tuesday morning, in solidarity with Ghazl el-Mahalla workers, if the latter’s demands are not met by then.
UPDATE: Kareem el-Beheiri posted the Kafr el-Dawar Textile Workers’ statement on his blog.
Here’s a quick translation of the statement…
After closely following what is happening to our brothers and comrades from the Mahalla workers, and after all the efforts they did in order to reach a just settlement with the management, General Federation.. we find there was rightly no other choice in front of the Mahalla comrades but to strike. Diplomacy, delegations and pleas are not going to solve the workers’ problems. It’s the strike that can, and so be it…
We the workers of Ghazl Kafr el-Dawar have been in contact and consulting with fellow workers in the (company) halls and in Factory #4. We understand that the Mahalla workers are calling for several demands including:
1- Impeaching the company board chairman
2-Impeaching the Factory Union Committee officials
3-Linking the monthly incentives to a fixed percentage of the monthly basic salary
4-Increasing the food allowance to match in the increase in prices
5-Raising the salaries to match the increase in prices
6-Paying the workers their annual share of profits
7-Solving the transportation crisis
8-Paying the workers housing allowances
We, the labor leaders in Ghazl Kafr el-Dawar, announce our full solidarity with the Mahalla workers, and join them in the fight for their demands, which are similar to ours. We also demand that the (Kafr el-Dawar) management implements the rest of our demands, which they shelved away, including fixing the (transportation) buses and improving the medical services for the workers, and opening the door for promotions for those have earned diplomas.
Mahalla, We have taken an oath that we will follow you, and launch a strike by maximum Tuesday; by then we would have mobilized the biggest number of workers in the factory to support both your demands and ours. We affirm that this Tuesday will be a strike if your demands are not fully met… And let the strike take us to wherever they want us to go…
Kafr el-Dawar Textile Workers For Change
Sunday, 22/9/2007
My heart and thoughts go out to the strikers in Mahalla. Best of luck to the comrades in Kafr el-Dawar. If that strike goes well, expect a hot industrial autumn in Egypt.
THE WORKERS UNITED, WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED… DOWN WITH MUBARAK’S NEO-LIBERAL DICTATORSHIP…