Saturday
Oct282006
Police kidnaps labor activist
Hossam el-Hamalawy
Police kidnapped Mohamed Hassan, an activist with Workers For Change, an hour ago in front of the General Federation of Trade Unions HQ in Cairo. Hassan was distributing leaflets denouncing the security intervention in the labor unions electoral process, and warning of serious vote rigging to come. Security personnel nabbed him, and took him to Al-Azbakeyya Police Station which has a notorious history of police brutality.
Hassan is still locked up at this moment.
Meanwhile, 25 transportation workers are currently on a sit in inside the Federation's HQ, protesting the hassels they are facing from the union bureaucracy in issuing their "candidacy certificate" (one of the red tape procedures a union candidate has to go through). And 13 other left-leaning workers from the Helwan steel mills have been eliminated from the candidacy list by State Security.
Workers For Change are calling for a demo, Monday 1 pm in front of the Public Prosecutor office in Ramses St., to protest the violations by the security services.
UPDATE: Mohamed Hassan has been released, after he was kept for three hours in police custody.
Hassan is still locked up at this moment.
Meanwhile, 25 transportation workers are currently on a sit in inside the Federation's HQ, protesting the hassels they are facing from the union bureaucracy in issuing their "candidacy certificate" (one of the red tape procedures a union candidate has to go through). And 13 other left-leaning workers from the Helwan steel mills have been eliminated from the candidacy list by State Security.
Workers For Change are calling for a demo, Monday 1 pm in front of the Public Prosecutor office in Ramses St., to protest the violations by the security services.
UPDATE: Mohamed Hassan has been released, after he was kept for three hours in police custody.
Reader Comments (2)
when egypt is gona waek up , waek up people,i left this country because we treted like dogs ,the boss and his people doesnt care about us , i dont know how this people sleep, iwish hosney and his people die , THIS OUR COUNTRY NOT HIS. I SAY IT LOUD AND I DONT CARE . I LIVE IN THE U.S.A ANY WAYS
Hossam-
To what degree is big business complicit in police suppression of labor activists in Egypt? Can you recommend any sources/books?