May be it’s time for our activist civil servants to start liaising with their Moroccan counterparts?
Following the collapse of wage talks with the Moroccan government, the Moroccan Workers’ Union, the Democratic Workers’ Organization and the Democratic Workers’ Federation called for a civil service general strike on Friday (January 23rd) and again on February 10th.
The Tora Cement workers, led by trade unionist Muhammad Abdel Monsef, are lobbying their state-backed General Union officials into allowing the local union to strike in beginning of February.
Train drivers are now on STRIKE in Misr Station (Cairo’s Central Train Station in Ramses Sq), demanding their bonuses.
All trains to Upper and Lower Egypt have been blocked by the drivers since 5pm. The head of the Railway Drivers Association is now negotiating with the management.
UPDATE: From Sarah Carr: Drivers have refused latest offer of part payment in July. The police have now involved themselves in convincing drivers to accept offer.
UPDATE: From Per: Police confiscate cameras of three journalists
UPDATE: It’s 9:07pm. I’ve just spoken with Per who says the state-backed union officials were trying to convince the drivers to suspend the strike, but the drivers refused. Still no trains are moving in or out of the station.
UPDATE: It’s 9:11pm. I spoke with one of the drivers. He’s cursing the state union officials, and saying the strike continues.
UPDATE: 9:40pm. From Sarah: Trains running again but negotiations continuing.
UPDATE: It’s 10pm. End of negotiations. Drivers will meet again with management in ten days time.
UPDATE: Per posted a report on his blog, and Sayyed uploaded some pix of the strike to Flickr.
UPDATE: Resources on the struggle of the railway workers here.