Maritime workers in Alexandria face military trials

Press Releases
Monday, May 30, 2016 - 12:01

On 25 May a group of naval shipyard workers in Alexandria were referred to the military prosecutor for interrogation on charges of demonstrations, gatherings and incitement to strike. This was against the backdrop of hundreds of the company's workers organizing peaceful demonstrations at the headquarters of the company in the port of Alexandria on 22 May demanding overdue dividends, the application of the minimum wage in accordance with the Constitution and the law, the dismissal of president of the company, increase of security measures and reopening workshops which were been suspended due to non-availability of raw materials for production and other legitimate demands.

The referral of the workers to the military court is an escalatory step by the company management after being having summoned military police to the place a week before to surround the company. One the following day, May 24, management closed all the company's gates in front of the workers to prevent them from entering prompting them to assemble and complete their sit-in in front of the Gate 36 of the port. They submitted an official complaint to the police in the Minyaal-Bassal station west of Alexandria on 25 May against the chairman of the company to documentn the situation.
The military prosecutor accused the workers in complaint number 204 for the year 2016 military prosecutors of inciting workers to strike and sit-in and ordered the imprisonment of 13 of the company's workers for four days pending investigation. It also ordered the arrest of 13 other workers. It also remanded the workers in custody for another 11 days .
The workers in custody pending investigations are (Abdel Razek Morsi, Mohammed TawfiqAli, Islam Zarif Abdul Aziz, Mohammed BassiouniAli, Ehab Samy Zaki, Ismail Mohamed Ismail, Muemen Mohammed Mimi, Samer Ibrahim, Mohamed Gouda Mohamed, Farouk AlsayedIbrahim, Ali Ibrahim Ali, Karim HemeidaSultan, Mohamed MahmoudAlsayed.

The Center for Union and Workers' Services stands in solidarity with the workers of the company and supports their demands for legitimate rights. It emphasizes that peaceful ways and methods to claim these rights, should not be replied to with repression and referral to military trials.

Add new comment