Campaign for a Fair Labor Law: Release Public Transport Leaders and Fulfill Workers’ Demands

Statement by the Revolutionary Socialists

Nearly two months ago, public transport workers began a strike—referred to by them as a “celebration”—coinciding with the start of the school year. Their demands, which officials have delayed for years, include:

1. Returning the Public Transport Authority to the Ministry of Transport’s jurisdiction.
2. Removing Mustafa Irfan, Head of the Central Department for Medical Affairs.
3. Convening a general assembly for the Solidarity Fund to revise its expenditures based on the latest basic salary.
4. Disbursing the legally mandated 7% annual raise and the 10% cost-of-living allowance.
5. Revising allowances for the nature of work, overtime pay, and hazard compensation to reflect the latest basic salary.
6. Increasing production bonuses for collectors and drivers from 13% to 17%.
7. Doubling the administrative incentive from 100% to 200%.
Despite articulating these demands clearly and expressing their willingness to negotiate, officials have failed to take any action to address the workers’ concerns.
The situation escalated two days ago when Tarek El-Behery, a leader at the Imbaba Garage, was summoned by the National Security Agency to discuss workers’ demands. Since then, he has disappeared, and no information about his whereabouts is available.
Early yesterday morning, four other leaders were arrested from their homes, leaving their families unaware of their detention locations or the circumstances of their arrests. These leaders are:
• Mohamed Hashem and Salah, both from the Fath Garage in Nasr City
• Mohamed Abdel Khaleq, from the Muzallat Garage
• Tarek Youssef, from the Athar El-Nabi Garage
Later that same day, another labor leader, Ahmed Suks, was arrested on Ahmed Helmy Street in Ramses.
The Campaign for a Fair Labor Law strongly condemns the government’s failure to respond to the workers’ legitimate demands. It also denounces the arbitrary arrests of these workers, the distress caused to their families, and the damage to their homes during the raids.
The campaign calls for the immediate release of the six detained workers and demands swift action to fulfill their just demands. These demands are especially critical in light of the unprecedented inflation and cost-of-living pressures affecting workers and their families.
Campaign for a Fair Labor Law