Tag: workers

Statement from Kafr el-Dawar Textile Workers for Change

Posted on By 3arabawy

I received a statement from Kafr el-Dawar Textile Workers for Change denouncing the witch-hunt against labor activists in Ghazl el-Mahalla, Ghazl Shebeen el-Kom and Arab Polvara Spinning and Weaving. The statement called for unity among the textile workers in the above-mentioned factories to resist the crackdown.

One other thing about the statement (which I really liked) was the fact that it was mostly written in Egyptian slang. This tells a lot about who wrote it, and who the target audience is. In other words it is written by a worker, not some “intellectual,” to fellow workers.

More on the Mahalla textile workers protest

Posted on By 3arabawy

I received more photos of the protest held Saturday by the Mahalla textile workers, taken by journalist Muhammad Abul Dahab…

Al-Masry Al-Youm, I have to say, screwed up again with its sensationalist coverage. The report it ran claimed that 27,000 workers took part in the industrial action. This is NOT true. 27,000 is the total labor force at the company. Those who took part in yesterday’s action were 3000 according to Kareem el-Beheiry. Another estimate I heard from a journalist put the number of demonstrators at 10,000, saying most of the (morning) first shift workers participated in the demo.

Keep your eyes on Mahalla.

Police threatens Mahalla labor leaders

Posted on By 3arabawy

State Security has been summouning on a daily basis Ghazl el-Mahalla labor leaders, including Muhammad el-Attar and Sayyed Habib, for hours of interrogation before and following the protest held in the factory yesterday.

State Security officers threatened Attar and others of fabricating drug charges against them if they go ahead with the planned protest on 21 July. The labor activits were also offered “personal privileges” if they decided to cooperate with the security.

Are the security hassles having an impact? “No, no, no!” Attar told me. “I and my colleagues will continue to defend our rights and the rights of the workers in the factory. They will not scare me. They told me, ‘Go to the human rights organizations, and see if they do you any good.’ I know all Egyptians are behind us and support Mahalla. This gives us strength.”