An Egyptian trade union has issued a statement accusing the Freedom and Justice Party of pressuring workers at the Nile Spinning and Weaving Company in Sadat City to end their strike against the dismissal of 34 of their colleagues.
The Centre for Trade Union and Workers' Services (CTUWS) issued the statement on Tuesday.
A dispute settlement meeting was attended by the head of the city council, the factory owner Mohamed Marzouk, the head of the Spinning and Weaving Company's general syndicate, former FJP MPs El-Sayed Emad and Mohamed Farrag, in addition to ten workers, who the CTUWS said were "unrepresentative."
The CTUWS later accused the FJP members of trying to persuade workers to accept the dismissal of 34 workers and end their strike. The CTUWS also claimed the FJP members had said the security forces would forcibly end the strike with the approval of the prime minister if required.
Nile Spinning and Weaving Company workers have been on strike for three months to demand regular pay rises, social benefits and food allowances. They also are demanding that temporary workers be offered permanent contracts and the rehiring of the sacked workers.
Furthermore, the CTUWS complained the FJP members had accused union member of inciting the strike.
Independent trade unions have been growing in Egypt since 2009 to break the monopoly of the state dominated Egyptian Trade Union Federation (ETFU). After the January 25 Revolution the ETUF board was dissolved and new elections are yet to take place.
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