Tag: left

Govt crackdown on Helwan labor activists

Posted on By 3arabawy

Mubarak’s crackdown on leftists continues:

Following the closure of the Center for Trade Union and Workers’ Services offices in Naga’a Hammadi and Mahalla, the Ministry of Social Affairs has decreed today the closure of the labor rights NGO’s main office in Helwan.

Download the Arabic statement I received here.

UPDATE: Here’s an English translation of the statement (Thanks Aida)

URGENT
MINISTRY DECIDES TO CLOSE DOWN CENTER FOR TRADE UINION WORKERS CENTER (CTUWS) IN HELWAN
A decree to close down the main headquarters of the CTUWS in Helwan was issued today, Sunday, 22 April 2007. The decree was referred to the ministry’s administration in Helwan, and from there to the Local Council authorities for execution.
It’s noteworthy that two branches of the CTUWS, in Naga’a Hamadi and in Mahalla el-Kobra, were closed down earlier this month.
Address of CTUWS
3 A Muhammad Sid Ahmad Street, Petrogas apartment buildings, Alexandria building, First floor, Helwan
Tel: 5593932 – 5593929

UPDATE: Activists will assemble tomorrow Monday 12 noon in front of the CTUWS (close to Helwan Underground Metro station), to try blocking its closure.

MB denounce govt attack on CTUWS

Posted on By 3arabawy

In a good show of solidarity with leftists, the deputy head of the Muslim Brotherhood, Dr. Muhammad Habib, denounced the government closure of the Center for Trade Union and Workers’ Services branches in Naga’a Hammadi and Mahalla.

Solidarity from Kafr el-Dawar

Posted on By 3arabawy

I received another statement from Kafr el-Dawar Textile Workers For Change, affirming their solidarity with the Ghazl el-Mahalla workers’ campaign to impeach their corrupt labor union officials and improve their work conditions.

The statement this time is written in colloquial Arabic. My sources in Kafr el-Dawar told me at least 300 copies of yesterday’s and today’s solidarity statements were distributed in the factory (which has a total labor force of 11,700 workers), and were positively received by the town’s workers.

Blogger Kareem el-Beheiry also reports that the two statements were warmly received by the Mahalla workers, and some already have made copies and started circulating them in Mahalla.