[fse-esf] (no subject)

[cigdem at sendika.org]

Egyptian government’s police has attacked to the Mahalla workers’ strike.
Since 5 April night so many worker leaders have been arrested. Police
seaged the city. Strike couldn’t start at the morning. Afternoon workers,
their families and unemployed started demonstrations. Police has attacked
brutally with real bullets and gas bombs and killed 7 people one of whom
was a 9 years old boy.

200 have been arrested in Cairo and 400 in Mahallah. Two of them are
professors. Hundreds of wounded demonstrator are in three hospitals.

Half million demonstrators are in streets and clashes with police are
continueing. However Workers are trying to start the strike.

******

Call For Class Solidarity From Egyptian El Mahalla Workers

6th April will be a very significant day for the laborers in both southern
and northern coasts of the Mediteranean sea. That day, the labourers in
Turkey will take another important step in their struggle against the
neo-liberal social security reform law. And in Egypt, El Mahalla textile
workers, the pioneers of the two years of the strike wave in this country,
declared a new wildcat strike for 6th of April and a general strike
atmosphere is constituted against the neo-liberal, opressive, corrupted
Husni Mubarak regime. 25 thousand workers of Mahalla factory, which is one
of the largest textile factories in all Middle East, declared a strike
action on 6th April, which is a work day in Egypt, demanding their wages
at the level of an average 350 Egpytian pounds (60 dollars) to be
increased with the high inflation rate and the conditions in the factory
clinic to be improved.
However the strike of the Mahalla workers has a meaning beyond their mere
demands for the Egpytian working class and people. If Mahalla workers can
really do the strike and be succesful, the broader struggle against the
Mubarek regime will be gaining a very important new achievement by the
hands of the Egpytian working class. Hence the strike action of the
Mahalla workers who are pioneering the wave of independent and de facto
trade union organisations and strikes of the last two years is declared
illegal today by the Ministry of Interior. The state security forces, hand
in hand with the official trade union organisation General Federation of
Trade Unions and Ministery of Labour announced that they will use all
measures in order the prevent 6th April strike. Mahalla, which is a worker
town in two hours distance to the capital city Cairo is surrounded by 35
thousand security police and entrance to the town is prevented. And in the
capital city at least 5 people distrubuting solidarity leaflets are
arrested today. The worker leaders of the factory are not staying in their
houses in order to prevent the arrestments to halt the strike action.
On the other hand, the tax collectors movement who share the leadership of
the strike wave with Mahalla workers and various other independent worker
organisations in different cities in the whole country decided to make
solidarity strikes and demonstrations the same day. Solidarity Commission
in Support of Mahalla Workers called all Egyptian workers and people to
support the strike action of the Mahalla workers. It seems that
neo-liberal, pro-market and corrupted Husni Mubarak regime will use all
kinds of oppression to prevent the 6th April action. Militant workers of
Mahalla are calling all workers and laboring people of the world to
support their fair cause and to show  their solidarity.

        Contact for solidarity: Solidarity Commission in Support of Mahalla
Workers 6apri08 at gmail.com, 6april.blogspot.com
Workers of Mahalla ..
Unite behind Your Rights
A great comprador's salute to the militant workers of Ghazl El-Mahalla,
who announced that they will go on strike today in order to demand their
rights, and above all their right to a fair fixed minimum wage, along with
the need to link wages with prices.
And, all the shame and condemnation is the share of the workers' syndicate
that does its best to halt the workers movement and break their rightful
strike.
Your strike, today, is an enormous step forward since it does not only
relate to you, but concerns each and every person who works in return for
a wage in Egypt.
Workers of Mahalla, you are not alone today for the whole of Egypt
supports you in your just demands. Do not be dissuaded by the continuous
trials at breaking your unity and stand firm against all the games of the
treacherous Syndicate and the regime's oppressive machine and media at
breaking your will.
Long live the struggles of all the Egyptian people, and the workers'
struggle at its core, as it works to free them, win back their rights and
fight against the strategies of oppression, exploitation and corruption.
Long Live the Militancy and revolt of El-Mahalla workers
The Solidarity Commission in Support of Mahalla Workers


A call to all Egyptians; workers and populace at large! Stand together and
Unite!
To every honourable effort, and every drop of sweat exerted by those who
worked hard for a morcel of bread soaked in the blood and sweat of a
worker. To those whose wages have been enveloped by the deamon that is
inflation, subjected to the monstrosity of those who invest in the
workers’ efforts and feast on their sweat.
To all the workers …
To the hope of this nation, of its peoples, its children and its women…
You are called upon today to stand together as one, with all that you
have; be it your effort, your words or your actions; behind the pioneers
of your struggle; behind the workers of Mahalla.

The pioneers that stand today, declaring a strike and calling for their
rights to a minimum wage rate aligned with inflation and market prices.
These demands they do not call for the workers of Mahalla only, but for
every workers in Egypt, for every wager-earner on this land.
Undaunted by the treachery of the General Federation of Egyptian workers,
or the Ministry of Labour, who supposedly represent the plight of every
wage-earner for his/her rights. The workers of Mahalla were not daunted by
the state securitys’ various attempts to instill fear in their hearts.
Nay, they stood strong in the forefront,  speaking in the names of the
hopes and aspirations of all Egyptians for a more dignified life,
particularly after the inconceivable rise in prices.
We are called upon today to lend our voices to yours, God is with you, and
so are we. Standing behind you to support your every effort and every
cause for a more dignified life for us and our children.
The committee in solidarity with the workers of Mahallah.