Tag: mahalla

Mahalla Updates: Victory confirmed

Posted on By 3arabawy

I could hardly get to anyone from my strikers’ contacts; I expect their phones are busy with incoming and outcoming calls. Then I finally managed to get to a Socialist activist who was at the factory. He confirmed the news. It’s a victory. the strikers accepted the settlement in a mass meeting, and left the factory around 5am.

Mabrouk for the Mahalla workers. Mabrouk for the brave men, women and children who solidly stood defiant in the face of govt pressures for a week. Thanks to all the activists and labor unionists around the world who sent in messages of support.

This is just the beginning. I’m sure Mahalla has become a source of inspiration to all the textile workers, if not the entire Egyptian working class.

Settlement reached between govt and Mahalla strikers; work to resume Sunday

Posted on By 3arabawy

I received a statement from the Workers’ Coordination Committee.

According to the statement, a government delegation led by the head of the General Federation of Trade Unions Hussein Megawer, the head of the General Union of Textile Workers Said el-Gohary and the head of the Textile Holding Company Mohsen el-Gilani met with 20 strike leaders at the City Council. Negotiations started Friday 11:30pm, and ended on the morning of Saturday 2:15am, where the two parties agreed on the following:

1- Ninety days of the annual profit shares will be paid immediately to the workers. The rest will be determined by the General Assembly of the company, on condition that it will be no less than 130 days, and no ceiling was agreed up on. The workers had already received 20 days, so another 70 will be decreed (so from the initial 40 days offered by the management, the strikers raised it to 90 days instead.)

2-The strike days will be considered paid holidays, whose costs will be incurred by the Holding Company.

3- Instead of giving the management the right to determine the incentives, the latter will be a function of the basic monthly salary, with an annual increase of 7% of the basic salary.

4- A cooperative society is to be established, funded by the Holding Company, to provide for the transportation of workers. Labor leader Mostafa Fouda has been assigned to direct it.

5-No striker will be victimized for taking part in the industrial action. A committee from the strike leaders has been formed to continue negotiating with the Holding Company over increasing the allowances for food and industrial safety.

6-The strike leaders were promised that Mahmoud el-Gebaly, the corrupt company board chairman will be impeached, together with his assistants.

7-Work is to resume on Sunday.