The Labor Protests and Social Movements Monitoring Center monitored 12 protests, including 7 labor and professional protests in addition to 5 social protests, during the first half of October 2020.
The reporting period witnessed an upsurge in labor protests in more than one sector objecting to the new Unified Labor Law. For example, a number of trade union committees of companies affiliated with the business sector issued statements rejecting this law because it encourages the layoff and dismissal of workers.
First: Protesting methods
“Strikes” topped the list of labor protests took place from 1 to 15 October 2020, followed by “threatening to strike” cases, then by “suicide” cases in third place.
Strikes
- Inmates of Istiqbal Tora Prison went on strike starting from Sunday 11 October following the escalation of violations committed by the prison administration against detainees.
- Employees at the “T-Land Sea” ready-made garment company located in Cairo’s Obour City went on strike protesting the delayed disbursement of their late salaries.
- Employees at the “Kiriazi” ready-made garment company located in Cairo’s Obour City went on strike protesting the delayed disbursement of their late salaries.
Sit-ins
- Workers at the Workers’ University sit-in staged a sit-in protesting the non-payment of their wages since last September. The case date back to May 2020 when the university failed to pay wages and salaries and accordingly the university’s workers organized a sit-in on campus a few days ago demanding the disbursement of their late salaries to meet the burden of living.
Gathering
- Dismissed workers gathered at the Libyan Embassy in Cairo demanding their reinstatement.
Threatening to stage a sit-in
- Fayoum insurance employees waved to organize a sit-in at their workplace to protest the deterioration of their living conditions and the low wages despite working for long years.
- Egyptian government workers’ union employees protest the non-payment of their wages.
- Union protests in more than 11 syndicates, including the Union of Iron and Steel Workers in Egypt rejecting the new Unified Law.
Protests
- Hundreds of residents of North Sinai villages demonstrate to demand their right to return to their homes.
Protest vigils
- A protest vigil organized by Zamalek Sporting club’s members due to the decisions issued by the Olympic Committee.
Complaint or petitions:
- Workers at “Sasco” factory in Al-Sharqiyah governorate filed a report against the administration after the factory was sold without paying their back salaries.
Suicide:
- A housewife at the city of Santa (Al-Gharbyia governorate) took her life by consuming poisonous cereals due to the accumulation of her “debts”.
Second: The protesting sectors
The ‘employees and state workers’ Sector topped the list of protesting sectors with 4 protests, followed by the ‘metallurgical and security’ sectors with 2 protests each, then came the ‘Education, spinning and weaving- the insurance and banking- sports’ sectors in third place.
Third: Distribution of protests in Egypt’s governorates
Cairo came at the forefront of the list of the protesting governorates with 6 protests, which is the highest among all governorates, followed by Giza with two protests.
In third place, each of (North Sinai – Gharbia – Fayoum – Sharqyia) governorates shares a protest for each.
Fourth: Distribution of protests in Egypt’s governorates
| Kind of protests | Number of protests | Governorate |
|
2 | Giza |
|
6 | Cairo |
| Protest | 1 | North Sinai |
| Suicide | 1 | Gharbyia |
| Threatening to stage a sit-in | 1 | Fayoum |
| Complaints or petitions | 1 | Sharqyia |
