Hassan Ibrahim / DNE
The chairperson of the Metro authority was promoted on Wednesday, reacting to a strike held by Metro workers, despite reports claiming he was sacked.
Ahmed Abdel Hady, spokesperson of the Metro authority confirmed that Minister of Transportation Mohamed Rashad El-Meteeny has assigned Ali Hussein, chairperson of the Metro authority, the position of adviser for the technical office of the Ministry of Transportation. Abdel Hady denied media reports claiming Hussein was being investigated for corruption. “The three Metro lines are now working; everything is back to normal now,” he added.
This comes after Metro workers held a strike on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, demanding Hussein be removed from his post and investigated for corruption.
The Ministry of Transportation did not initially respond strikers’ demands. However, on Wednesday morning, as the strike caused severe congestion across Cairo, the ministry removed Hussein from his position as chairperson of the Metro authority.
Mohamed Ibrahim Aly, a law student and frequent Metro user, expressed his support for the strike, saying the striking workers have legitimate grievances that won’t be resolved without taking such action.
“The strike might have caused disrupted our interests, but shouldn’t we ask ourselves about the interests of those workers? Shouldn’t we hold the government accountable for not responding to their demands from the first place?”
Another Metro user, Phoebe Saad, said strikes are now the only method for pushing the government to respond to legitimate demands.
In contrast, Sayed Taha, said those striking at such a critical time are attempting to hinder the state’s control over its institutions. “Those pressuring the government because they work in crucial positions are traitors, they should be tried for treason,” he concluded.
