Catherwood LibraryILR School

The Egyptian government is trying to rein in the biggest spate of labor unrest the country has seen in decades after thousands of workers at a textile mill went on strike to protest low wages and soaring inflation. The government recently rushed to resolve the strike of 27,000 workers at the Misr Spinning and Weaving Factory in this gritty industrial city, a sign of authorities' unease over the increasing unrest among Egypt's working class. But the underlying causes of the series of strikes over the past year remain: The poor feel squeezed out of Egypt's liberalizing economy, and their frustration could pose an even greater threat to stability than the government's traditional political rivals like the Muslim Brotherhood.