Several labor and freedom groups have expressed their refusal of arbitrary actions committed against workers, as well as attempts to strip them of the right to protest, strike and organize sit-ins.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the groups expressed their support of workers' demands for fair wages, trade union freedoms and stable positions.
“The government has intensified its attack against workers’ rights to disturb their efforts in calling for wages and bonuses. The workers now face corruption charges and the biased policies of businessmen and investors,” the statement said.
It accused the government of using all of its tools to suppress protesting workers by arresting or fabricating accusations, like workers' affiliation to terrorist groups and possession of weapons.
“The labor movement could decline a bit under the sword of oppression and authoritarian rules, however, it will reunite quickly so long as policies on privatization, starvation, the laying off of workers and the closure of factories are perfectly adopted by Ibrahim Mehleb’s Cabinet,” the statement said.
Among the figures and groups that signed the statement were the Egyptian federation of petroleum workers, the independent trade union of Egypt Gas workers, the independent trade union of workers in the manpower department in Giza, Khaled al-Balshy, head of the freedoms committee at the Journalists' Syndicate, Othman Mohamed, representative for the Dostour Party, and others.
