Drivers and railway workers threaten to strike

Workers at Egyptian National Railways, incuding signal operators, crossing watchmen, and drivers, have threatened to go on strike today, Sunday, el-Badeel reports. According to the report, security presence in train stations has increased in anticipation of the strike, after fruitless attempts of security officials to convince the workers to accept offers made by the ministry of transport and the management of ENR. A union representative told el-Badeel that the offers does not satisfy the minimum demands of the workers, and added: "We are not responsible for what will happen." (Referring, I assume, to the union - a clear admission that it has become more or less irrelevant as the workers are becoming more militant and organizing themselves around their demands).

Note that this report was published yesterday, so the situation might have changed since then. For more background: Here's my last post about the railway struggle, and here is Hossam el-Hamalawys links. Also read Zeinobia's posting about the railway and bus strikes. And here is a report in the Daily News with details about the new incentives presented by the ministry of transport.