Thousands of workers at the Mahalla Textile and Weaving Company in Egypt s Mahalla city continued an open strike at their factory for the seventh day in a row on Sunday, while negotiations with the factory administration and the Ministry of Public Business are ongoing.
According to Faisal Loksha, a leading activist worker at the state-owned company in Gharbiya governorate, negotiations started on Saturday when a delegation of officials visited the factory and met with a group of workers to discuss their demands.
“Company CEO Ahmed Mostafa, officials from the manpower ministry and a group of MPs visited the factory on Saturday,” Loksha told Ahram Online.
“The heads of the sectors at the factory met with the delegation and later spoke with the workers to discuss the newest offer.”
Loksha said that the delegation offered the striking workers a raise if they return to work, but the workers rejected the offer, insisting on all their demand.
Last week, the workers started the open-ended strike, making several demands including a 10 percent raise in basic salary, a 10 percent raise in social benefits, and an increase in their food allowance.
The workers also demanded that the company s general coordinator be replaced by a new board of directors.
Loksha also said that 50 workers discussed with the administration on Sunday a new offer that includes an increase of the lunch allowance from EGP 210 to EGP 300, the formation of a committee to look into workers promotions, and a 10 percent raise.
“The workers are still insisting on the two raises; a 10 percent raise in basic salary and a 10 percent raise in the social benefit salary,” Loksha told Ahram Online.
The company has lost an estimated EGP 40 million since the strike started last week, according to Al-Ahram Arabic news website.
