Comments on: Ghazl Shebeen, Kafr el-Dawwar Strikes… VICTORY!

By: ruth

ruth — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 18:19:22 +0000

Thank you so much for your coverage!
I read a brief article in the San Francisco Chronicle about the strikes, and have been searching for more information but they haven’t been covered in any other English-language papers, as far as I can tell (and of course, yours is a far more accurate description than a major paper would have). I’m trying to pull together a last minute article for The Skeleton News, a cooperative, independent monthly paper I write for/edit here in Chicago - if you have any updates on the situation, please let me know. Would you mind if I use one of your photos to accompany the article?

Ruth O-R
Chicago, IL, USA

By: Paul

Paul — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 11:57:05 +0000

Yes, Hossam, the workers “said” there were many demos before. I think a degree of skepticism is warranted.

By the way, how is raising the food allowance greater than a 45-day bonus? The food allowance goes up LE10/month, retroactive seven months, so they all get an extra LE70. A 45 day bonus, assuming a base salary of LE288 (as one worker had) would be about LE430. They got a 21-day bonus, so around LE215, plus the LE70, means they get LE285 — still a lot less than a 45-day bonus. I suppose in the long run, another 15 months are so, the extra food allowance would eventually amount to that figure, but that seems rather far ahead.

Anyway, it’s very interesting how much union/worker stuff there is now in the press, with a great deal of space given to the Union leaders pledging that this won’t happen again (including a funny comment that workers will work twice as hard to make up for lost production — I wonder how the workers feel about that).

By: Faisal

Faisal — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 07:39:26 +0000

Good coverage Hossam!

Always glad when the workers get, at least, part of what they deserve. Here’s hoping this government wakes up and begins to implement actual, effective changes to improve these people’s lives.

On another note, I heard that the management was actually removed. Is this true?

Also, yesterday, on “el bait baitak” they got the Ministers of Investment and Labor and, other than the usual hodge-podge regarding how they dealt with the situation in the most humane manner possible and how the workers should have exhausted all their “legitimate” channels of communication [Meaning, of course, through the Union officials who came in after all the vote-rigging we heard of] before striking.

Two things to mention, neither of the Ministers condemned striking straight on. In fact, they both said that strikes should be “of the last resort”; a resort never-the-less.

They also said that 70% of the union officials were “new” to their posts and haven’t the experience nor the savvy to deal with the situation because “they are still learning”.

Although, knowing how adept Egyptian government officials are at scape-goating, this seems like an obvious lie… I wanted to ask if you can give any information regarding this; is it true?

By: Tim Seah

Tim Seah — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 01:03:10 +0000

Thanks for the great report, Hossam.

Encouraging news, but it’s a shame they had to fight so hard for an extra LE10 a month for food. I just bought a large bottle of milk for LE9.

By: Joanne

Joanne — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 18:41:53 +0000

Great and moving report but I dont trust the minister of labor “giving in to most of the demands of the strikers” Its an old trick they are crafty and just wanted the strike to break, I bet not half of what they promissed and agreed on, will actually happen

By: Hossam el-Hamalawy

Hossam el-Hamalawy — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 17:53:13 +0000

Thanks Paul for the feedback…. The place was quite when we arrived, because the security forces cleared all the area around the parameter, in anticipation of the governor’s visit, the workers who were on the outside gates told me.

By: Paul

Paul — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 17:46:07 +0000

Nice, detailed summary of the situation, Hossam. I would stick by my assessment of the number of workers cheering their victory, that was after consultation with the experienced photographers that as you noted had covered a few wars. The figure for the Mahalla strike was the most often agreed upon one in the various press reports. While I would never want to impugn your sources, there is a tendency for leftist activists with a great deal at stake in these events to inflate numbers. After all, didn’t they say there were thousands of workers surrounded by even more security marching through the streets of Kafr al-Duwwar… yet the place was quite peaceful when we arrived.