unions archives — Page 85 of 133

Building the Union

Posted on 31/08/200820/12/2020 By 3arabawy

Members of the Higher Committee for the Real Estate Tax Collectors’ Strike convened in Cairo on Saturday, to carry on their fight to build what will be Egypt’s first independent labor union in half a century.

The meeting included over 20 northern and southern provincial delegates, many of whom were from the central figures in the Hussein Hegazi St occupation. For hours, they discussed strategy and tactics, problems and solutions, reported on the signatures collection campaign, which provinces are lagging behind and which ones have moved, reactions from the government and the Federation, pursuing the establishment of Solidarity Funds.

Discussions that turn into debates and almost fights, followed by interventions from someone to calm down the situation, offering an alternative solution, compromise or putting the subject aside for few minutes… Suggestions argued for and against… Motions rejected and seconded… And all resolutions are voted on. This is called democracy.

Crackdown on tobacco women workers in Damanhour

Posted on 31/08/200810/01/2021 By 3arabawy

The Hennawi Tobacco Company was surrounded by police troops on Saturday morning, barring and assaulting 33 women workers who were unlawfully sacked by the management.

Thirty two had gone on Thursday to the Labor Office, during their break time, to file a complaint against the management which deducted LE8 out of their monthly pay for insurance, though the workers receive no benefits. They were also there to testify in support of another colleague, named Safaa, who was fired on Thursday on fabricated charges.

The Labor Office, however, stalled registering their complaint. Moreover, the police were brought in and a plainclothes agent, named Salah el-Banna directed the most foul slurs to the women workers in the presence of the Labor Office director Reda el-Wakil, whose wife is reportedly working at the Hennawi Company in a privileged position.

As expected, the management was notified of the 32 women worker’s complaint, and when they showed up for work on Saturday morning they were shocked to find out they, together with their colleague Safaa, were barred from entering the factory, which was surrounded by Central Security Forces trucks, ambulances, police cars with officers and informers from the Bandar Damanhour Criminal Investigations police and State Security agents. The women were told they were fired and reported to the police for “illegal assembly, striking, using foul language against the managers.”

The police assaulted the women when they insisted on entering, and one of the agents involved was named as Ibrahim Mahmoud.

The workers filed a complaint at the Prosecutor’s Office, where they are also to be investigated for the fabricated charges leveled by the company management against them.

Meanwhile, Hagga Aisha Abu Samada, a trade unionist who led the strikes and the protests in the factory last year is still sacked and fighting in court to get instated.

Updates on the Tax Collectors

Posted on 29/08/200810/01/2021 By 3arabawy

The Independent General Union of Real Estate Tax Collectors [Under Establishment] has started its move to establish “solidarity funds” in the different provinces, and hired a professional financial accountant to set officially the arithmetic of deserved pension funds in relation to salaries and years of service. An official letter was sent to the head of the Real Estate Tax Agency, demanding the full database, on a CD in an Excel File format, of the 55,000 Real Estate Tax Collectors, with their names, birth dates, the service starting date, current salaries and bonuses.