[fse-esf] Egypt's biggest factory occupied by striking workers

[Alex Callinicos]

Egypt's biggest factory occupied by striking workers - show your solidarity

26 September

 

Thousands of workers at the biggest textile factory in the Middle East, Misr
Spinning and Weaving in Mahalla al-Kubra north of Cairo have been occupying
their plant since 23 September. The strikers are demanding wage rises to
meet the spiraling cost of living, payment of bonuses and the impeachment of
the factory management and the leaders of the factory's pro-government
official union committee. Thousands of workers across Egypt have already
joined strikes and protests in solidarity with the Mahalla strikers. In
December 2006 a successful strike by workers at the same company set off
Egypt's biggest wave of industrial action for decades, involving strikes by
textile workers, postal workers and teachers. 

 

Independent trade union activists frequently face harassment and
intimidation by the Egyptian authorities, while the official trade union
movement is controlled by the government. The following appeal for
international solidarity with the Mahalla strikers has been issued by the
Centre for Socialist Studies in Cairo, which is part of a wider network of
opposition and human rights groups campaigning for change in Egypt. 

 

To add your name to the solidarity statement below, or to send a message of
support to the strikers: email rabab100 at yahoo.com

To send condemnation letters to the Egyptian General Federation of Trade
Unions Fax # (+202)25740308 or Ministry of Labour Fax # (+202)24037562
(please email a copy of the letter to the address above). Send protests to
the Egyptian embassy in your country. 

 

Read more about the strike here:

 <http://arabist.net/arabawy/> http://arabist.net/arabawy/ ;
<http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnBAN454477.html>
http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnBAN454477.html 

 

Solidarity with the Mahalla Workers 

We call upon all workers and fighters for justice to support Mahalla
Spinning and Weaving Company 27,000 workers currently on strike for their
rights, which are basic and legitimate rights for all workers. We shall use
all means to express our solidarity with the workers and their families for
their courageous stand and their struggle to seize their rights.

 

We also call upon all workers in all locations to act in solidarity with
their colleagues at the Mahalla Spinning and Weaving Company. 

We salute the initiative of the Grain Mills workers for their symbolic
solidarity sit in, which they organized on the 23rd of September 2007 and
their release of solidarity statements together with their colleagues in
Shebin El Kom Spinning and Weaving Company. We also salute the weaving
workers in Kafr El Dawwar for their decision to organize a solidarity sit in
with their Mahalla colleagues on the 25th of September 2007. We also salute
the students, foremost the Tanta university students, for their release of
several solidarity statements with the workers. We also salute all centres
and movements who expressed solidarity with the workers.

 

We condemn the policy of terror and arrests which the regime is using in the
face of the legitimate demands of the masses of workers.

 

We condemn the policy of blockading the workers in the factory, which has
failed to intimidate them and has increased their determination to continue
their strike for their rights. We condemn the yellow puppet General
Federation of Trade Unions and the Ministry of Labor who stand against the
will of the workers and against their interests.

 

We call upon workers around the world and their unions to show their support
to their fellow workers in Mahalla in everyway possible.  

 


Center for Socialist Studies, Cairo







 

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