3 Oct 2011

Egypt: striking drivers blockade Parliament

Around three thousand workers from the Public Transport Authority blocked the street outside Parliament in Cairo on Saturday, demanding increases to their wages, a rise of 200% in their incentive pay, and the resignation of Ahmad al-Borai, the Minister of Labour and Migration, because of what they described as “his failure to solve their crisis”.
The workers shouted “Borai out!” and “We’re not going, he’s going” (echoing the famous chants against Mubarak during the uprising in February). Some of them attacked Ali Fattouh, president of the Independent Public Transport Authority Workers’ Union, considering that the independent union had aggravated the crisis.
Activist Gigi Ibrahim was detained by the army for three hours, as they objected to her filming the blockade. They then forced her to delete the footage. Gigi believes she may have been detained for trying to give accurate information about the strike which contradicts official statements. "The army has been trying to convince ‎the public that the strike is over and that the drivers’ demands have been fulfilled, and ‎that is not true" she said.

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