End to strike at Egypt’s Suez Steel - but struggle continues

The signing of a collective agreement at the Suez Steel plant in February 2012 triggered a series of disputes involving layoffs, arrests and violence. In August, 12 workers were laid off and police reports were kept. Management refused to respond to workers' demands, saying they had to return to work before negotiations could begin. In the past few weeks, the conflict has escalated further, with three more labor leaders arrested and gunmen and the military dispatched to intimidate workers at the factory into returning them to production. The employer held a meeting and pressured the workers to persuade twelve of their colleagues and a few more to leave.

To ease the tense situation, IndustriALL, together with the Egyptian Democratic Labour Congress (EDLC) and the Egyptian Federation of Independent Trade Unions (EFITU), took action to stop the violence against Palestinians, reinstating the Egyptian Minister of Manpower and Migration, Kamal Abu Aita. Striking workers were also on the agenda with a number of ministers, including the Minister of Industry.

Last week, after the release and negotiation process of detained workers at the company's facility, which the Governor of Suez was also involved in, six workers agreed to leave after receiving adequate financial wages. The remaining nine workers are still seeking reemployment.

Mohamed Mabrouk, one of the dismissed, previously detained workers and a key strike leader, said: "We thank IndustryALL for its effective support in resolving this conflict and are calling for continued support for the reinstatement of nine workers. We defend the interests of the company's workforce and will continue on the same basis.” says

Jyrki Raina, General Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union, said:

“Although this strike is over, it is clear that there is still a lot of work to be done and the employer must respect union and worker rights. IndustriALL Global Union urges employers to continue these important discussions and recognize the right to collective bargaining – this is the only way to end the conflict.”