TANTA LINEN WORKERS RECOMMENCE THEIR SIT-IN BEFORE THE CABINET OF MINISTERS

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   TANTA LINEN WORKERS RECOMMENCE THEIR SIT-IN

BEFORE THE CABINET OF MINISTERS

Archival image (Photography: Sayed Dawoud)

 The Center for Trade Union and Workers Services “CTUWS”, 18^th April 2010: About 100 workers from Tanta Linen Company started again their sit-in before the premises of the Cabinet of Ministers after the failure of the Ministry of Manpower to reach a settlement with the Saudi investor “Abbdellaah El Ka’aky”. The Manpower Minister, who emphasized her intention to put the company in operation, suggested an early retirement scheme which compensates every early-retiree worker by EGP 40 thousand of which the investor pays EGP 25 thousand only. But the investor refused the suggestion, the Minster announced.

The workers emphasized that they will go back when their fired colleagues are returned, their accumulated profits and bonuses in arrears are released, the value of their free meal is increased and the agreement concluded between the General Trade Union for Textile Industries and the management of the Company is amended. These were the same demands of the workers which the investor has refused earlier.

The workers raised slogans which criticize the policy of the Government of Egypt and the Ministry of Investment in particular and denounced the management which started a fierce battle against the workers in the absence of any serious governmental action against such managerial practices. They chanted several slogans which express their determination to protect their families’ sustenance and show that strikes are legal actions vis-à-vis poverty and hunger.

The security forces used strict procedures against the works participating in the sit-in. Heavy Metal barriers surrounded them. In addition to the continuance provocations by the security, the workers were prevented to go to relieve nature or to buy food. Nevertheless, the workers insisted to continue their sit-in while some more of the workers of the Company will join them tomorrow (Monday). On the other hand, Mr. Hussein Megawer President of the Egyptian Trade Union Federation had asked the Trade Union Committee of the company to postpone the sit-in until the crisis is discussed in a session for the Manpower Committee to be held Monday, but the works refused his demand.

The workers had stopped their previous sit-in which lasted for 17 days on 23^rd February after they reached a verbal agreement with the Minister of Manpower which provided that a) the workers who completed 20 years of service will take early retirement compensation estimate at EGP 40 thousand, b) the dismissed works will get the same amount of compensation from the Emergency Fund of the General Trade Union for Textile Industries, and c) all the workers will get their January and February salaries in arrears. The verbal agreement included that the Manpower Ministry will buy “insurance periods” for those workers who did not complete 20 years of service so that they can obtain reasonable pensions.

The Manpower Minister undertook to implement the agreement and announced to the workers that the Prime Minister himself has approved the agreement. Accordingly, the workers of Tanta Line Company decided to stop their sit-in at Hussein Hegazy Street and left the place to their homes in buses provided to them by the Manpower Ministry.

Confirming its full support for the legal demands of the workers of Tanta Linen Company, the “CTUWS” calls upon all the democratic forces in the Egyptian society to urgently consolidate with these workers and support their action. The CTUWS calls upon the responsible officers to urgently interfere to stop the stubborn and irresponsible actions of the Saudi Investor who contravened the provisions of the purchase contract of this company as declared by officials of the Holding Company of Chemical Industries to which this company was affiliated. The CTUWS calls upon all the trade union federations and organizations to consolidate with the workers of Tanta Linen Company in their strike until they reach their fair demands.

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Breaking News

Egypt, CTUWS, on 10 February 2010, at 5 PM: In an action that considered as a serious development, Security Forces have attacked workers of Tanta Linen, Flax and Oil Company who have staged a sit-in in front of the Egyptian Cabinet since a day before yesterday. Hisham Abu Yazeed El Akl, one of the workers, was injured.

Moreover, journalists and media interviewers have been expelled out from the sit-in area by Security Forces that wide-spread in the area.

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