Public transport workers marching on the cabinet in 2011 (Pic: Hossam el-Hamalawy)
The prime minister and cabinet of Egypt’s military-backed government suddenly resigned on Monday of this week.
The last three weeks have seen increasing pressure on the regime from strikes by workers demanding to be included in a promised minimum wage rise.
Bosses hoped that the military regime’s repression would mean the end of such unrest. They will be pushing for a new cabinet to take an even harder line.
The biggest strike involved 20,000 textile workers in the industrial city of Mahalla. The Mahalla workers suspended their 12-day strike last Saturday when the government promised to fulfil the strikers’ demands.
Workers said they will give the government 60 days to deliver.
But new strikes include Cairo’s public transport workers, who walked out on the same day.
All 28 bus garages in the city were shut down as Socialist Worker went to press.
Meanwhile the campaign for the release of political detainees continues. Activists including the Revolutionary Socialists and the April 6 Movement were set to protest in Cairo on Tuesday of this week.
Unions have called a general strike
Interview with a member of French revolutionary socialist group Autonomie de Classe
The real violence is coming from the racist thugs in uniforms
