Delegations of workers from Mahalla Spinning and Weaving and six other striking companies, accompanied by Workers Union head Gebaly Al-Maraghy, planned to meet with the Minister of Investment on Tuesday.
Kamal Al-Faioumy, a member of the workers delegation, said: “More spinning and weaving workers are going on strike in solidarity with the Mahalla workers and [the] demands [they’ve made].”
Principle demands under consensus from the striking companies include: the resignation of the chairman of the Textile Holding Company, Foad Abdel-Alim; the provision of new investments; the operation the halted factories with their full capacities; and electing new boards of directors for each company.
Seven out of the Textile Holding Company’s 32 companies are striking, including Mahalla, Kafr Al-Dawar, Sbahy Al-Biza, STIA, Shebeen Al-Kom, and Nasr, Al-Faioumy said.
Minister of Manpower Kamal Abu Eita, agreed Sunday to present the demands to the Minister of Investment for approval, but they were rejected. The delegation Monday started a sit-in at the Workers’ Union headquarters in Ramses, Cairo.
Mahmoud Haroun, one of the striking workers in Mahalla, said the strike in front of the company’s administrative building is ongoing. Police have not interfered with the workers strike, he said.
A minor fight took place between the striking workers and a group of people who were trying to influence them to get back to work, in support of Mohamed Sannad, head of the Mahalla workers union.
The Company’s Commissioner said work would resume Tuesday morning, several Egyptian news outlets reported Monday.
Spinning and Weaving workers in Mahalla started their strike last Monday, demanding their late bonuses. The workers’ demands have since escalated to include management reform and minimum wage. The strike in Mahalla incited other textiles companies to join the strike and send delegations to Cairo.
At press time, the workers were heading to meet the Minister of Investment.
