First: Labor Protests and Social Movements
The Social Movements Monitoring Center has monitored 10 protests during the first half of March 2020; all of them are related to wages, salaries or working conditions. These protests were organized separately from trade union organizations whether labor or vocational/professional unions.
This indicates that these trade unions fail to express the demands of their members, or that they don’t have the ability to direct their members or guide them.
Giza governorate tops the list in terms of the number of labor protests, while Menoufia governorate came in the second. The protests took place during the reporting period included the following sectors: Sports, Agriculture, Irrigation, Fishing, Health, Spinning and Weaving, Public Utilities, Chemical Industries, Localities and Services, and Transportation.
The following is the list of protests organized during March 2020 in chronological order:
* Nag Hammadi City Council workers and drivers organize a protest
On the first of March 2020, workers and drivers at Naga Hammadi City Council in Qena governorate staged a protest to demand the application of the minimum wage stipulated in the decision issued by the Ministry of Finance and the Prime Minister in the first of June 2019 setting a defined minimum wage for all job grades.
* Al-Zamalek Sporting Club workers organize a protest and threaten sit-in in front of the Ministry of Youth and Sports
On 2 March, some employees of Zamalek Sporting Club organized a protest to denounce the nonpayment of their salaries during the last two months (January and February) amid the heavy financial burden placed on them. Some of them also threatened to stage a sit-in in front of the Ministry of Youth and Sports. In the following day, more than 200 employees organized a vigil to protest the Club’s president’s decision to dismiss all employees who participated in the previous vigil from their jobs.
* Spinning and weaving workers organize a sit-in
Workers at El Masria for Textile Industries (Spinning and Weaving) at Sadat City, Monofeya Governorate organized a sit-in inside the factory on the second of March; to protest the company’s failure to pay the periodic and social allowance for 4 years. The protesters resumed their work after the company met their demands and paid them the planned allowances.
* El-Eslamyia Paper Factory workers organize a protest
On 3 March, workers at El-Eslamyia Paper Factory in Qweisna Center, Menoufia governorate organized a protest in the center’s labor office to protest the nonpayment of their monthly wages for four consecutive months. In response, the security forces detained a number of workers, before the Ministry of Manpower intervened and resolved the issue.
* A protest in front of the Fishermen Association in Ezbet El-Borg
On the afternoon of March 4, a number of fishermen organized a protest in front of the Fishermen Association in Ezbet El-Borg in Damietta governorate to denounce the Insurance Law, the increase in fuel prices and raw materials, and the expansion of the fishing ban area in addition to other regulations that place a further burden on fishermen.
* 14 Aswan Railway employees go on hunger strike
On March 4, employees of the Aswan Governorate railway station went on hunger strike to protest the cronyism and nepotism practiced during the distribution of work assignments and tasks, demanding the dismissal of the station’s operating director, before the ambulances transported the striking employees to Aswan University Hospital.
* Nasr City’s Sixth District cleaners organize a protest
Cleaners at the Sixth District in Nasr City organized a protest on March 8 in front of the District Presidency’s headquarters to denounce the fact that the contractor whom they worked with refused to pay them their wages for three consecutive months. In response, the security forces arrested a number of these workers and detained them over gathering charges before they were released on March 11.
* Imbaba Fever Hospital nursing staff goes on strike
On March 13, the nursing staff at Imbaba Fever Hospital went on a labor strike after one of the nurses was injured in Corona virus- Covid 19 as a result of infection. The General Authority of Hospitals and Educational Institutions consequenlty intervened to control the strike.
Second: Professional associations/ Trade unions
* Bar Association elections
All sub-Bar Associations in Egypt have completed most of its preparations for the elections that will be held on the seats of president and board members, scheduled on 15 March, judicial supervision of the elections.
The number of candidates in the elections is 194, including: 18 candidates for the position of President of the Bar Association, 95 candidates for membership of the bar’s council (Cairo Court of Appeal), 7 candidates for Alexandria Court of Appeal, 4 for Beni Suef Court of Appeal, 8 for Ismaili Court of Appeal, 10 for Assiut Court of Appeal, 4 from Beni Suef Court of Appeal, 8 from Ismailia Court of Appeal, 10 from Asyut Court of Appeal, 12 from Mansoura Court of Aappeal, 9 from Qena Court of Appeal, 15 from Tanta Court of Aappeal in addition to 16 for legal administrative.
* Midterm elections for the Veterinary Syndicate
The Chairman of the Supervisory Committee for the Mid-term Elections of the Veterinarians Syndicate confirmed that the Syndicate Council decided to hold the elections on time, as scheduled on Friday 27 March 2020.
* The Engineers Syndicate’s General Assembly
The General Engineers Syndicate announced that its Ordinary General Assembly for the year 2020 would be held on Thursday, March 5, with the attendance of 624 engineers.
