Der grösste Streik seit vielen Jahren

Rund 20.000 Beschäftigte der Al Mahalla Textilwerke sind in den Streik getreten um ihren Anspruch auf Ausbezahlung des Jahresbonus durchzusetzen - der grösste Streik seit langer Zeit im Lande, alle 3 Schichten der Belegschaft sind auf dem Werksgelände. Der (englische) Bericht "Al Mahalla Spinning Workers Strike and Sit-down" vom CTUWS vom 7. Dezember 2006.

Al Mahalla Spinning Workers Strike and Sit-down

More than 20 Thousands workers from Misr-Al Mahalla Company for Spinning and Textile (Misr-Al Mahalla Spinning Company) are striking and sitting-down in their company now calling for their right to obtain two months salaries in bonus in accordance with the decision N. 467 for the year 2006 that was issued by the prime-minister, and published in the official newspaper (the issue number 64).

The third shift workers-who are supposed to leave their factories at eight-began the strike in the early hours of the morning, then.. the first shift workers joined them. At 3 P.M. The security forces that surrounded the company had tried to prevent the entry of the second shift workers, but they could lastly enter and attached their colleagues’ movement.

Accordingly, the whole workers are striking-in the company at this moment calling upon their rights while some of them are calling for discharging of the Company’s chairman because of his refusal to respond to their fair demand and also because of all management’s arbitrary measures against workers, especially, its interferes during the last trade unions elections in favor of the chairman of the trade union committee.

It is noteworthy that Al Mahalla Spinning workers refused to cash their bonus during the last week when the company management had refused to pay two months in bonus, and announced a decision to disburse one hundred Egyptian pounds only in bonus,

As these bonus were increased-according to the prime-minister decision N. 467- to be two months salaries instead of one hundred pounds (which had been decided to be disbursed according to a previous prime-minister decision (N.122 for the year 1984), the workers decided not to accept less than the two months in bonus.

It was the habit in Misr-Al Mahalla Company to disburse these bonus successively. The spinning workers who were supposed to receive them firstly, refused to cash the one hundred pounds in bonus on Sunday, and Monday. While the payday for textile workers was Tuesday, the management stopped the process and tried only to pay the bonus to the administrative employers. In spite of the management’s threats (an announcement has been placarded that the employer who refuses to cash his bonus will be removed from his job) around 70% of the employers refused to cash bonus.

This refusal movement was a step and a way to notify the company management, and the holding company of their right, but they met with obstacles, and refusal to respond to their demand. When the days gone without getting on their rights, The workers have no other way but to begin their sit down strike in their company until the achievement of their demands.

While CTUWS monitors this situation paying a lot of attention to its developments, it announces its solidarity with Misr Al Mahalla workers, and their fair demand which is not more than the implementation of an official decision should not be denied, affirming that issuing laws and decisions and abstaining from its implementation shakes trust in the state institutions, and laws which lose their credibility leading to a very harmful influences on the society and its stability.

While the CTUWS gives emphasis to the right of Misr-Al Mahalla workers to strike and to exercise different pressure activities ensured by the Egyptian constitution and International conventions ratified by the Egyptian government, it calls upon you to express your solidarity with them and to address all the concerned authorities and bodies to respond to their demands.

You are requested urgently to express your solidarity by sending your messages to the following:
Misr-Al Mahalla Company chairman Fax No. ++2(0) 40 2227833
++2(0) 40 222 7780
++2(0) 40 222 5280
The People's Assembly (the Parliament) Fax No. ++2(0) 2 794 2435
The Egyptian Trade Union Federation Fax No. ++2(0) 2 5740 324
The Cabinet of Ministers Fax No. ++2(0) 2 7958 048