Entitled "Strikes in Egypt Spread from Center of Gravity," the report
said labor unrest has spread from state-owned industries to the private
sector, Middle East Newsline reported. Strikers, who included women, have also demanded political reforms
in Egypt.
Still, the report said, strikers have failed to overcome government
repression and establish an independent union. In many cases, the report
said, the Mubarak regime prevented protests and shut down offices of
independent unions.
"Though the Mubarak regime is showing signs of desperation, internal
division and weakness, lashing out at Muslim Brothers, bloggers,
journalists, striking workers and NGO [non-government organization]
activists alike, the opposition is even weaker and more divided," the report
said.
The largest private-sector strike has taken place at the privatized Arab
Polvara Spinning and Weaving in Alexandria. On March 24, and again on April
2, nearly half of the firm's 12,000 workers struck to protest discrimination
in the allocation of shares as well as the elimination of paid sick leave
and vacations.
"The government has charged the Muslim Brothers with inciting the Arab
Polvara strike, but there is no evidence that they played any role in this
or any other labor action in the last year," the report said. "Labor
solidarity is an unusual stance for the Brothers, who have never had a
strong base in the industrial working class and, in the past, have assisted
the government in breaking strikes."
"While some Muslim Brothers have acted to encourage the present-spate of
worker activism, it appears there are differences within the organization
between the affluent businessmen who dominate the leadership and
rank-and-file members from the lower middle classes and working poor," the
report added.
Still, Brotherhood parliamentarian Abdul Aziz Al Husseini has supported
the strike at the Misr Spinning and Weaving workers in Kafr Dawar, south of
Alexandria. Another Brotherhood deputy, Sabir Abu Al Futouh from Alexandria,
expressed solidiarity with the employees at Arab Polvara.
In 2006, the regime of President Hosni Mubarak disqualified thousands of
Brotherhood, leftists and independent candidates in trade union elections.
In response, the Brotherhood has pledged to establish an independent labor
union.
In December 2006, strikers at Misr Spinning and Weaving in Mahalla Al
Kubra bolted from the government-supported General Federation of Trade
Unions. In February 2007, a similar move took place at the Shibin Al Kum
Spinning and Weaving Co.
