As the military tries to restore order in Egypt, workers in many sectors are refusing to end their strikes. The military has been asking workers to return to work, saying that the continued strikes are only hurting Egypt's economy. However labor leaders say that the strikes should not come as a surprise, as workers try to make up for years of repression and inflation. Labor leaders say that the workers have strong ties to one another, and that they are able to mobilize quickly and effectively, a problem for any efforts to quell them. Strikes have hit banks, transportation, textile mills, police, airports, engineers and even workers at the Suez Canal. Workers say that they will continue to strike for higher wages and changes in the structure of their organizations.
See "Freed by Egypt's Revolt, Workers Press Demands", Kareem Fahim, The New York Times, February 16, 2011