State Security police interrogated yesterday Abdel Nasser Abdallah, one of the December 2007 Tax Collectors’ strike leaders, whose efforts are central to the establishment of the new independent union committee in Bani Suweif.

Abdel Nasser was contacted several times by SS officer Hisham of Bani Sueif, requesting he showed up for interrogation. After refusing to show up for days, Abdel Nasser went yesterday to the SS office in Bani Sueif, and was interrogated from 9pm to 11:45pm.

It turned out that the state-backed union officials reported the independent trade unionist to the SS, claiming he was fund raising for an “illegal trade union” and agitating for a strike. It goes to show once again what sort of people those General Federation of Trade Unions officials are… They are not representatives of the workers. They are not campaigners for labor rights. They are nothing but a bunch of police informers and cronies.

In a great show of solidarity, Abdel Nasser’s colleagues accompanied him, and assembled outside the SS building waiting to see if he would come out safe or get detained.

Inside the building, SS officer Hisham started the interrogation by threats, ordering Abdel Nasser not to leave Bani Sueif without taking prior permission from SS. Abdel Nasser refused.

“They say you are raising funds,” said SS officer Hisham.
“Not yet, but we will,” answered Abdel Nasser.
“For what?”
“For our union”
“What union?”
“We are building a free union, away from those who reported me,” Abdel Nasser said. “You and I know they are thieves and do not represent us in negotiations or get us our rights.”
“Yes, I know they are thieves. But they say you are raising funds for another strike.”
“No, I’m raising funds for our retirement sandouq and for our welfare. We are doing this in public and we have nothing to hide. The Minister of Finance knows it. The head of the Real Estate Tax Agency knows it. We meet with them regularly as the legitimate representatives of the civil servants. You can ask them yourself.”
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“I need you to pass by me and tell me everything you do,” Officer Hisham said. “If you’ll meet [the head of the General Federation of Trade Unions] Hussein Megawer or the minister or you decide anything, I have to know.”
“I’m sorry I’m not an informer! If the Higher Strike Committee tells me I come to you, then I’ll come. If not, then sorry I can’t come and tell you what we are doing. If we’ll do a public event, then I’ll come to let you know. It’s going to be public anyways, so everyone will know. I don’t mind then telling you. But I can’t come here every day to tell you we are doing this or we are doing that.”

The interrogation went on till around 11:30pm, and Abdel Nasser was very courageous and assertive in his answers, showing no grain of fear.

“You can do whatever you like to do as long as it’s legal,” continued Officer Hisham. “I like and respect what you are doing, but I will not allow any strikes. You can do whatever you want, but no strikes. What happened last year cannot be repeated again.”
“We are not planning any strikes,” said Abdel Nasser. “We want to negotiate at the present time. But we strike when we do not find any channels of communications and when we find all the doors closed in our faces. We have no choice then but to strike to get our rights.”
“Ok, I know your friends are waiting outside. I don’t want them to think I detained you. You can go.”

Abdel Nasser left the SS building around 11:45pm, to be showered with hugs and kisses from his comrades who’d been waiting for him with concern outside… ending the night with shisha and cups of tea at the Qahwa in front of the SS building…