In an unprecedented act, the treasurer of the union of workers in Exxon Mobil was fired over the phone on the background of charges filed by the union against the company to the attorney general about incidents of corruption in the sale of Diesel and oils.

Yasser Mahmoud Al Sayed the treasurer of the union of workers in Exxon Mobile had filed a case with the attorney general of western Alexandria against:

1. The head of the board of directors and the CEO of Abou Al Hol company for oils and cleaners (formerly The Egyptian Company for Salt and Soda)
2. Mr. Ahmed Maher, manager of the warehouse of Exxon Mobile
3. The head of the board of directors and the CEO of Ezz Al Dekhila for Iron and Steel in Alexandria

He complained that Abou Al Hol company for oils and cleaners, the activities of which include producing cooking oil that is used by Ezz Al Dekhila for cooling iron (according to the complaint). This oil is bought by Exxon mobile for 9 pounds a liter approximately and tests a sample of it for viscidity and tolerance to heat and then transferring the product in the same car and on the same day to the company that is complained against at a price of 40 LE per liter which is a crime according to law number 92 for the year 2012 and that had been adjusted by the articles of law number 95 for the year 1945.

The head of the union, Shokry Kishta and members of the board of the union presented several complaints to many entities about the incidents of corruption including the manupilation of the prices of fuel. The complainants said that Alexandria Petroleum pumps diesel to the ware houses of Exxon Mobile at a price of 180 piasters for a liter for marketing but the company sells around 50000 liters weekly to the Italian Gapco company for 325 piasters per liter. The members of the board also stated that the Exxon Mobile recycles grease that is not in compliance with the codes of consumer protection.

Shokry Ahmed Kishta, head of the independent union for workers in Exxon Mobile said that the company has exceeded all boundaries and transgressed all laws and union traditions when they retracted from the labour agreement that it had signed with the union in a collective negotiation that stated at the end, that there will be an end to the employment of workers through employee providing companies (sub- contractors) and deal with workers directly. This was not abided to by the company. The firing of the colleague Yasser Mahmoud Al Said, the treasurer, by phone, contradicts all traditions and laws. The colleague was not subject to any accusation of any sort and was not repremended previously. Moreover, as a union member, the law has specified ways to subject him to investigations, penalizing him or firing him in which the law necessitates the presence of a representative from the union board during the interrogation. This did not happen.

Kishta says that the truth lies in the war of the company against the union because of the role that the union played in exposing the corruption in the above mentioned incident as well as its activities in demanding the rights of their rights. Yasser is the first but will not be the last because their real target is

the union that has worked seriously and accomplished a lot for the workers and still has much more to accomplish including paying the annual profits that have been specified in the companies law in articles 40 and 41and which the company does not pay to the workers who work with extremely dangerous substances that give them serious disease including cancer.

Kishta asserts the union’s determination to work for the interests of the workers and defending them as well as working for the return of colleague Yasser, the fired treasurer. Kishta mentioned that the union sent complaints and telegrams to the prime minister, the minister of labour as well as the interior minister, the head of the Northern Military district, the governor of Alexandria, the head of the Alexandria Police and the head of national security in Alexandria to avoid escalating a situation that is likely to become explosive if not dealt with.

The Center for Trade Union and Worker Services announces its full cooperation with the workers of Exxon Mobile in their legitimate right to work directly with Exxon Mobile without a go between or a sub contractor and announces its rejection of the procedures that the company  administration follows and demands that it abide by the articles of the agreement between the company and the union and return the treasures who was arbitrarily fired. It also demands that they stop the obvious state of war against the is apparent in all the procedures that the company has taken in the past few days. Moreover years previously, the company administration backed down from the agreement between it and the union in 2012.

CTUWS asserts that it is necessary to investigate the incidents of corruption that has been presented by the union and the workers to the parties concerned against the company and the other companies and to announce the results of these investigations.