Labor Protests Test Egypt?s Government
Protests continue in Cairo, Egypt this week, reaching their third month. Laborers from an amalgam of industries and sectors have been camped outside Parliament for weeks, demonstrating during the day, and sleeping on the sidewalk at night. Political protests are dealt with harshly in Egypt, but the labor protesters have had some luck negotiating with the government for better wages and working conditions. Protests this week were dominated by factory workers, government workers, employees of a telephone company, and handicapped workers. One government worker said he and his 200 colleagues, who make about $20 a month, have been on the pavement for 22 days, and will stay until their rights and needs are met. Some in the current Egyptian regime fear that the labor protesters will connect their employment woes with the single-party rule, and turn into political protesters.
See "Labor Protests Test Egypt?s Government", Michael Slackman, The New York Times, April 28, 2010