Tag: qiz

Statement – Egyptian Trade Unionists: Declaration of Independence / BDS

Posted on By 3arabawy

Statement:

Egyptian Independent Union Federation
28 June 2011

In light of the growing controversy about the independent trade unions and malicious accusations and allegations aimed at undermining the Egyptian workers’ movement and the trade unions which it created, we, the representatives of the independent unions, are signing this statement of the fundamental principles on which they are being built and on which trade unions which represent workers are founded.

1. The independent unions have appeared in Egypt ending an era during which trade union work has been monopolised by the state and the ruling party, and this is due to the struggle of the Egyptian workers and their sacrifices, and nobody can claim otherwise. At the same time we extend our thanks and greetings to all those who support the principles of trade union freedom and the right to organize so long as this support is without conditions.

2. The independent unions confirm their independence from all political parties, official institutions and organizations, human rights organizations, and individuals. The independent unions confirm that they only follow the wishes of the general assemblies of their members and that the principle of independence is a general principle which applies to all without exception. In the same vein, the independent unions assert that only elected representatives from the base of the unions have the right to speak on behalf of the trade unions and declare their positions, and that no outside parties have the right to do so, unless those positions have been agreed by the elected representatives of the independent unions.

3. The independent unions depend for their funding on the contributions of their members and will not accept financial support from any other source at home or abroad. The general assemblies have complete authority for the financial supervision of the unions. We affirm that this principle self-reliance and self-funding is an inseparable part of the principle of independence on which the unions were founded.

4. We affirm that this principle of independence dates from before the revolution and that the revolution came to bless this perspective and to issue laws to protecting this same principle, the first of which was the constitutional declaration on the freedom to form unions the announcement of the principle of trade union freedoms. This declaration contributed to Egypt’s name being removed from the ILO blacklist of countries violating workers’ rights as did the draft law on trade union freedoms. We affirm that the principle of independence is not tied to an individual or a government but is a fundamental right of all of who work for a wage in this country, and they will not give it up in any circumstances.

5. The independent unions completely reject any form of normal relations with the Zionist enemy, as they reject all forms of co-operation with any person or organization who is involved in normalisation or is calling for normalisation. We affirm our complete support for the right of the Arab Palestinian people to create an independent state in the whole of Palestine, and their right to use whatever means of resistance to achieve their rights. We affirm also that one of the principal reasons for our rejection of the old Egyptian Trade Union Federation is its subservience to the state and the National Democratic Party, and its participation in a visit to occupied Jerusalem and its failure to take any position opposing the policy of normalisation, such as the QIZ [Qualified Industrial Zones] Agreement and the gas supply agreement and other policies which the Egyptian Trade Union Federation by its silence supported while the Egyptian workers’ movement rejected them and was resisting them.

6. The independent unions value the Arab people’s struggle for freedom and social justice.

Long live the Egyptian Revolution!
Eternal glory to the Martyrs!

Egyptian Independent Union Federation

Signatories:
1. The Real Estate Tax Authority Union
2. The General Public Transport Authority Workers’ Union
3. The General Union of Civil Aviation Pilots
4. The General Union of Builders and Woodworkers
5. The Egyptian Peasants’ Union
6. The General Union of Antiquities Workers
7. The General Union of Sales Tax Workers
8. The General Union of Health Sciences
9. The General Independent Union of Teachers
10. The General Union of Communications Workers
11. The Manshiyet al-Bakri Hospital Workers’ Union
12. Du’aa Hospital Union
13. The General Union of Workers in the Ministry of Labour
14. The Media Production Workers Union
15. The General Union of Pensioners

Original statement in Arabic here.

State Security Police, Mukhabarat and the working class

Posted on By 3arabawy

A message from a reader:

During one of my recent daily visits to one of the Qualified Industrial Zone (QIZ) garment factories in Shobra El Kheima known as Misr Taiwan, I was astonished at the close relationship between the factory’s upper management and Amn El Dawla (State Security Police). I saw a person visiting there daily and overheard that he was getting the “daily report.”

When I asked the executive assistant what does “the daily report” mean and who was he? I heard what I didn’t want to hear.

He explained that those daily reports are between Amn El Dawla and the management of the factory on “workers behavior” especially pertaining wages and “behavior of the workers in organizing against the status quo or causing any political or non-political unrest.”

I was told by him that this officer of Amn EL Dawla named Mounir, was seen as a “friend” who visits on a daily basis and even given some clothes at times to keep tight connection with Dakhlia just in case any “problems” arise.

I was curious to know how deep or intrinsic was this relationship between Amn El Dawla and factory owners, so I asked if Amn El Dawla had helped before in diffusing any planned strikes or workers demands in order to keep “the peace.”

He told me that many times some checks were still clearing at the banks, so Amn El Dawla would intervene to speed up the process for them in order for the workers to get paid on time in fear of a strike.

Also another example was when the management itself would use Amn EL Dawla as their “arm or stick” to just scare the worker if the worker is “misbehaving” or causing “trouble” whether politically or attempting to shake-up the status quo.

There are usually gifts given to high officers in hopes of gaining a powerful ally and greeting cards during holiday given to company owners in return. The relationship seemed to be based on mutual interests; factory exploits the workers, and Amn EL Dawla makes sure that the workers are repressed while being exploited, which sadly only benefits them both on behalf of the workers.

On the same day that this took place, one of the factory’s share holders received a call from Al Amn EL Qawmi (National Security Agency, or Mukhabrrat) asking if there was any “unrest, or changes in workers’ behavior regarding the recent events that took place after the Tunisian uprising,” and the owner was laughing and saying that “all is well here, we have it all under control, workers are fine, paid on time, business as usual, but if there are any problems, we will contact you.”

I was in the room when this happened, so as soon as he hung up, and I knew what was the call all about. I asked, “Does this happen regularly?” The shareholder replied “it is rarely when Al Amn El Qawmi that calls, usually it is just Mounir here or calls from Amn El Dawla, this is unusual.”

I was thinking of course, they are scared shitless of any workers up-rise because they know the end is near, and it will be where power lays, with the masses, the workers!

Mahalla QIZ textile workers score partial victory after protest

Posted on By 3arabawy

Sarah Carr reports for the Daily News Egypt on Abul Sebae’s workers‘ protests:

Workers in a Mahalla textiles factory have been awarded partial back-payments of their salaries a day after hundreds of workers protested in the streets of the Delta town.
Workers from the Aboul Seba’ factory chanted slogans against factory owner Ismail Aboul Seba’ on Wednesday after promises that they would be paid their outstanding salaries were not kept.
Muhammad Maree writes on his blog egytimes.org that “workers have forced the company to pay out salaries due on Sept.5 2009, meaning that they only have one other outstanding salary payment due to them.”
“They have a promise from security bodies and company management that they will receive this salary payment after the Eid holiday,” Maree continues.
Maree says however that a notice pinned up inside the factory announcing that all employees must take an obligatory 15-day unpaid holiday has left workers feeling uncertain about their future with the company.