Your Egypt

[Hoss]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7ZFrTE2saU

Apr. 7 - Angry Egyptians set fire to shops and schools in a Nile Delta textile town after police thwart a planned general strike.

Independent workers' groups and opposition political parties were hoping thousands of people at a state-owned textile plant would go on strike as part of a national day of protest against rising inflation and higher food prices.

But a heavy police presence, stern warnings from the government and bad weather helped to wreck their planned action.

Paul Chapman reports.

http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=79691&feedType=VideoRSS&feedName=TopNews&rpc=23&sp=true


Comment :

While the strike was aborted in Cairo, many people didn't go to work, being afraid to get involved in violence or arrests..Part of that strike was to boycott buying any goods on that day, which was supported by many Egyptians, who have suffered the rising prices for basic food and even bread!
Many schools witnessed lots of absenteeism and others just shut down on that day, in anticipation of riots and violence between the people and the security forces...
Something to mention is that another strike is planned in the 4th of May, which actually coincides with the Birthday of the Egyptian President!

[moll]

:shock: :shock: :shock:

Things must be getting pretty bad :( most of the Egyptians we know in Luxor grumble a lot about the government but wouldn't ever think of actually DOING anything...they just seem to think that's the way it is and they're powerless to change it. But I can understand how much courage it takes to stand up to an authoritarian system where you can just be imprisoned or have a nasty 'accident' if you stick your head over the parapet...

Are there any organised trade unions in Egypt, like the unions we have here? or are they mostly kind of undercover workers groups?

[Hoss]

moll wrote: :shock: :shock: :shock:

Things must be getting pretty bad :( most of the Egyptians we know in Luxor grumble a lot about the government but wouldn't ever think of actually DOING anything...they just seem to think that's the way it is and they're powerless to change it. But I can understand how much courage it takes to stand up to an authoritarian system where you can just be imprisoned or have a nasty 'accident' if you stick your head over the parapet...

Are there any organised trade unions in Egypt, like the unions we have here? or are they mostly kind of undercover workers groups?

Hi Moll :)

This was a "people" strike and not a trade union strike..The most notorious trade union strikes are the lawyers syndicate and the Mahala Kobra Textile industry trade unions...
What happened on 6th of April was a people's strike..Unfortunately some sabotage has occured in Mahala and it seems like it was staged by some governament hired bullies...obviously to have justification to launch tear gas and to fire rubber bulltes and even live amunition at people!! ( Some people were killed!!)
Opposition parties and Muslim brothers in particular denied any ties with the strike..It was a people's stike.