CENTER FOR TRADE UNION & WORKERS SERVICES

( CTUWS )
Honored the French Republic’s Human Rights Prize

TANTA LINEN WORKERS RECOMMENCE THEIR SIT-IN

BEFORE THE CABINET OF MINISTERS

The Center for Trade Union and Workers Services “CTUWS”, 18th April 2010: About 100 workers
from Tanta Linen Company started again their sit-in before the premises of the Cabinet of Ministers after the
failure of the Ministry of Manpower to reach a settlement with the Saudi investor “Abbdellaah El Ka’aky”.
The Manpower Minister, who emphasized her intention to put the company in operation, suggested an early
retirement scheme which compensates every early-retiree worker by EGP 40 thousand of which the investor
pays EGP 25 thousand only. But the investor refused the suggestion, the Minster announced.
The workers emphasized that they will go back when their fired colleagues are returned, their accumulated
profits and bonuses in arrears are released, the value of their free meal is increased and the agreement
concluded between the General Trade Union for Textile Industries and the management of the Company is
amended. These were the same demands of the workers which the investor has refused earlier.
The workers raised slogans which criticize the policy of the Government of Egypt and the Ministry of
Investment in particular and denounced the management which started a fierce battle against the workers in
the absence of any serious governmental action against such managerial practices. They chanted several
slogans which express their determination to protect their families’ sustenance and show that strikes are legal
actions vis-à-vis poverty and hunger.
The security forces used strict procedures against the works participating in the sit-in. Heavy Metal barriers
surrounded them. In addition to the continuance provocations by the security, the workers were prevented to
go to relieve nature or to buy food. Nevertheless, the workers insisted to continue their sit-in while some
more of the workers of the Company will join them tomorrow (Monday). On the other hand, Mr. Hussein
Megawer President of the Egyptian Trade Union Federation had asked the Trade Union Committee of the
company to postpone the sit-in until the crisis is discussed in a session for the Manpower Committee to be
held Monday, but the works refused his demand.
The workers had stopped their previous sit-in which lasted for 17 days on 23rd February after they reached a
verbal agreement with the Minister of Manpower which provided that a) the workers who completed 20
years of service will take early retirement compensation estimate at EGP 40 thousand, b) the dismissed
works will get the same amount of compensation from the Emergency Fund of the General Trade Union for
Textile Industries, and c) all the workers will get their January and February salaries in arrears. The verbal
agreement included that the Manpower Ministry will buy “insurance periods” for those workers who did not
complete 20 years of service so that they can obtain reasonable pensions.
The Manpower Minister undertook to implement the agreement and announced to the workers that the Prime
Minister himself has approved the agreement. Accordingly, the workers of Tanta Line Company decided to
stop their sit-in at Hussein Hegazy Street and left the place to their homes in buses provided to them by the
Manpower Ministry.
Confirming its full support for the legal demands of the workers of Tanta Linen Company, the “CTUWS”
calls upon all the democratic forces in the Egyptian society to urgently consolidate with these workers and
support their action. The CTUWS calls upon the responsible officers to urgently interfere to stop the
stubborn and irresponsible actions of the Saudi Investor who contravened the provisions of the purchase
contract of this company as declared by officials of the Holding Company of Chemical Industries to which
this company was affiliated. The CTUWS calls upon all the trade union federations and organizations to
consolidate with the workers of Tanta Linen Company in their strike until they reach their fair demands.
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Egypt/Helwan - Mohammed Said Ahmed st.- Petrogas buildings- Alexandria building-

Second Floor – Apartment No. (2) P.O. Box. 114 Helwan
Tel: +202 255 93 929 / +2012 0532 488 Fax: + 202 255 93 932
E-mail: ctuws.ctuws@gmail.com, Website:http://www.ctuws.com