Transportation workers strike (photo:Mai Shaheen)
Following 18 days of strike action, some of Egypt’s protesting bus drivers have suspended their strike.
Mona Moustafa, the head of the CTA, said in a statement yesterday that the Authority will issue LE 200 to drivers, LE 175 to technicians and engineers, and LE 150 to administrators, which would total approximately LE 40 million.
This was announced at the time after the cabinet had previously announced two days ago that it allocated a budget of LE 128 million for transport workers, further frustrating striking drivers who wondered where the rest of the promised money would be spent.
Tarek Sayed, a worker at the Imbaba garage, said the workers have partially lifted their strike in an attempt to facilitate negotiations with the minister of manpower. The garages which are still striking will continue their strike until all of the demands of the strike have been met. He added that workers are demonstrating in front of cabinet headquarters.
Employees of the Public Transport Authority began their open-ended strike 17 September. The strike has been temporarily suspended many times as workers were led to believe they had reached an agreement with the government, only to later find that no satisfactory compromises had been made.
Drivers, ticket collectors and workers are demanding higher wages, better working conditions and uniforms, and better maintenance for bus fleets.
In addition, employees of the Cairo Transportation Authority (CTA) are now also threatening to protest in order to get the same rights that drivers and fleet crews are fighting for.
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