The Cairo Public Transportation workers are starting a strike in all the Cairo garages, 6am, demanding the modernization/replacement of the obsolete buses and spare parts, raising allowances related to work hazards, increasing bonuses, reforming the health services, and CALLING FOR THE FORMATION OF A FREE UNION, independent from the CORRUPT STATE-BACKED NDP-RUN EGYPTIAN GENERAL FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS.
The strike leaders are already coming under severe security pressures to abort the strike, as I’m blogging now, and some have expressed fear of arrest.
UPDATE: The strike has been aborted, early Wednesday morning, due to pressures from the police and the Ministry of Transportation officials.
Hossam el-Hamalawy is an Egyptian journalist from Cairo
hossam [at] arabawy [dot] org
Mohamed Abdelfattah
January 26, 2010 - 10:14 PMAwesome. I wish they’re able to start their union. They shouldn’t be afraid though. They will reap the benefits of a strong trade union later.