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EGYPT: Employees protest for higher salaries

CAIRO: In a largest protest by public sector employees, about 2000 civil servants protested in Cairo on Sunday to demand increase in wages. They want their salary in line with the staff of Finance Ministry, who they say earn more for the same work.

The Real Estate Tax Office employees gathered outside the finance ministry to demand an increase in salaries. The demonstration is seen as a potentially serious challenge to President Hosni Mubarak's regime.

The average monthly salary at the Real Estate Tax Office is around 300 Egyptian pounds. The protesters are demanding that the office operate under the ministry of finance, where tax officers earn an average of 1500 pounds.

In September, at least 24000 workers at the Mahalla Spinning and Weaving Company in the Nile delta - one of the largest textile factories in the world - went on strike over unpaid profit shares and low wages. The government subsequently agreed to their demands and similar strikes were held in other factories.

Last year alone, at least 200 instances of labour unrest were reported.
Economic reforms that have yielded six percent annual growth rate in the past three years have failed to trickle down to ordinary workers.

Source: Agencies • News Courtesy: BharatTextile.com