Hundreds of teachers participated in a protest in front of the governor of Alexandria’s office on Monday, complaining of inadequate, temporary employment contracts, reported Al-Ahram’s Arabic website.

Teachers’ spokesman Ahmed Hamdi commented: "Their problem has been ongoing for years. They have spent six years on temporary contracts, with [monthly] salaries that don’t exceed LE 300 [approx. $42]."

"We are demanding permanent contracts immediately," he added.

One of the reported conditions of the $4.3 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan currently being sought by the Egyptian government is the creation of minimum and maximum wages. The IMF loan is expected to be signed by the end of this month, according to the state-run MENA news agency.

In June 2012, a law was passed mandating a minimum wage of LE700 [approx. $100] for public sector employees.

The minimum wage came into effect at the start of July 2012, the beginning of the 2011-2012 financial year, but only permanent government workers benefited, not workers at state-owned companies or workers on temporary contracts.