workers archives — Page 469 of 484

Labor updates

Posted on 03/03/200716/01/2021 By 3arabawy

I received a statement signed by “Workers for Change in Kafr el-Dawar,” calling for establishing “Representatives’ Committees” that would “monitor the performance of the Union Committee (in the factory)” to act as a “democratic liaison between the workers and the Union.”

The statement also called for “expanding the the coordination between workers in companies that went on strike with us, to create the necessary solidarity links and exchange experiences.”

This is a very interesting development. Prior to the strike there was no entity by the name “Workers for Change in Kafr el-Dawar” that existed. This statement clearly shows there are sections (or at least elements) from the largely spontaneous strike leaders are developing politically and pushing for a more sophisticated forms of organizations that can sustain future strike activities. It’s a slow process, but it has started.

In Ghazl el-Mahalla Company, the situation remains unclear, that’ why I did not blog about it earlier. I had received information that the mass resignations from the govt’s General Federation of Trade Unions campaign started roughly a week ago. The workers, as far as I understood, are mailing the union around 50 resignations a day. The General Union of Textile Workers denied it received any, according to a socialist journalist friend of mine who called Said el-Gohary. I’m still uclear about the total number of workers who have already resigned, and what the next step will be. I’ll post more about this in the coming few days, as I get more details.

Telephones Equipment Company workers on strike

Posted on 28/02/200704/03/2021 By 3arabawy

I’ve received news that Helwan’s Telephones Equipment Company workers have gone on strike today, demanding their unpaid 12-month bonus.

Three days ago, only 316 out of 1600 workers went on strike for one day. But today, production in the factory came to complete halt as all the workers joined the strike.

I’ll update the posting if I receive more details.

Nasr City gardeners resume work; threaten new strike if their demands not met

Posted on 27/02/200717/01/2021 By 3arabawy

Journalist and friend Jano Charbel sent me the following update on the Nasr City gardeners’ strike that started yesterday:

Cairo Garden Workers to Expand Scope of Strikes if their Demands are not Met

Following yesterday’s strike, workers and employees at Nasr City’s International Garden resumed work on Tuesday, February 27; yet announced that they would expand the scope and duration of their strikes if their fiscal demands are not met.
Around 600-800 workers from seventeen other gardens, affiliated to the International Garden, joined their (nearly) 300 fellow workers in a solidarity strike staged in Nasr City – in an impressive mobilization of non-unionized workers who are, nonetheless, united.
There are a total of twenty-six public/specialized gardens, in & around Cairo, that are affiliated to Nasr City’s International Garden – the workers of all these gardens share similar grievances and demands.
There are a total of nearly 3,000 workers employed in the public/specialized gardens of Nasr City, Helwan, Shobra, the Sixth of October City, and other districts. These workers have raised three demands to the gardens’ central administration – which is headquartered in the International Garden, on Nasr City’s Abbas El-Akkad St.
Dozens of workers at the International Garden unanimously agreed that their demands, and those of their fellow workers employed in affiliated gardens, are:
1. That, in accordance with national labor legislation and ministerial decrees, all workers who have been employed (at any of these gardens) for over three years should be granted full-time employment contracts – with all associated socio-economic rights & benefits.
2. The payment, in full, of five annual pay raises – which the administration has failed to provide (despite the fact that these gardens generate untold profits.)
3. The payment of 50% of each worker’s basic wage – for the compensation of work-related injuries, illnesses, and health hazards.
The average total wages (including all incentive pay) of a worker employed in the International Garden amounts to between LE 250-300 per month (approximately US$ 48/month)
International Garden Worker, Abdel Maqsoud Mohammad, said “I live in Munuf, in the Munifiya Governorate, I wake up at 4am every morning in order to commute to Cairo. I have been working at this garden for 14 years now. Yet I still have not signed a contract of full-time employment. I have six children and I make only LE 250 per month. Our administration is simply inhuman.”
“Our administration keeps us in the dark regarding how much money this garden generates annually. What we all know is that the administration, and the Governorate of Cairo, rent out garden land on which the Wonderland Amusement Park operates – to the tune of LE 2 million in rent per year” said another worker named Hamdi.
“The large profits that this garden generates are funneled from our administration to the administrative personnel employed at the Governorate of Cairo. We are deprived of our fair share.” added Hamdi.
Another garden worker shouted out “what we are subjected to is blatant fraud and exploitation.”
Dozens of workers spoke of resuming, and even expanding, their strike within this coming week if their administration continues to disregard their three demands – which the workers listed in a group petition filed to their administration.

UPDATE: Here’s a photo, taken by Jano, of some of the workers at Nasr City’s International Garden: