Resources on the Revolutionary Socialists
The following statement has been distributed few hours ago by the Textile Workers’ League activists inside Ghazl el-Mahalla factories, during the (Saturday) third night shift. The statement, written in a satirical form, denounces corruption and the deterioration of medical services in the company’s hospital, and was signed by “The Mahalla Textile Slaughterhouse Workers’ League”.
Last Wednesday the League also distributed a statement, regarding the workers’ annual profit shares.
In the run up to the 6th of April, Ghazl el-Mahalla turned into a battleground of propaganda and agitation between the Textile Workers’ League activists on the one hand, and on the other were the management, security and the group of workers around Attar and Habib who were trying to sabotage the strike.
Each camp was distributing hundreds and thousands of statements in the week prior to the 6th of April. According to two labor organizers I spoke with, the militancy in the garments section, that is composed largely of women workers, was the highest. These were the same workers who started the 7th of December strike, as 3000 of them struck and started marching, chanting “Where are the men? Here we are the women!”
One of the strongest pro-strike statements, distributed in the factory, appeared a couple of days prior to the uprising, titled “The 6th of April: To be or not to be,” signed by “The Women Workers of Ghazl el-Mahalla,” who were close to the Textile Workers’ League.
The statement denounced PM Nazif, the National Democratic Party, the company security and the state-backed union officials, endorsing the call to strike:
PM Nazif is following Comrade Mostafa’s blog! The Daily News Egypt reports:
Egypt’s blogging community was stupefied to find a comment by Prime Minister Ahmad Nazif on a blog known for its opposition to the government.
One of the most heavily-criticized government officials in the blogsphere, Nazif confirmed that it was indeed he who posted the comment on “Ala Esm Masr” (In Egypt’s Name), a blog with a noticeably socialist tone run by Mustafa Mahmoud.
Since the post appeared on Aug. 5, the blog has witnessed an unprecedented level of activity.
In his comment, Prime Minister Nazif lauded the dialogue between youth in the blogosphere and the way they freely express their opinions on the political and economic issues facing Egypt.
“Opinions raised in the blogs can be useful in directing the country’s general policies [and] that is what encouraged me to follow and participate with you,” he said.
“You and your colleagues represent…a promising future with more democracy,” he added, addressing the writer of the blog.
Readers of the blog were stunned to find Nazif’s comment, and many were skeptical of the true identity of the person who made it.
One commenter who called themselves Gabhet El-Tahyees El-Sha’biya (The Public Nonsense Front) asked for proof that the comment was actually made by the prime minister. On the other hand, “anonymous” said that the writing style of the PM’s comment is similar to the one used by government officials, expressing satisfaction that their voices are being heard by the government.
Nazif confirmed his participation in the online discussion to Al-Masry Al-Youm, saying that he wanted to “clarify misunderstandings.”