A-Infos (en) Egypt: Three years in prison for 5 dockworkers Alexandria* (ca) [machine translation]

On 23 September, the Alexandria court has sentenced to three years in prison to five 
company employees working with containers at the port of Alexandria. The sentence was 
imposed following the strike of the employees of the company and its call for the 
resignation of the President of the Board of Directors of the Port Authority of Alexandria 
accused of corruption. They also demanded the privatization of port platforms that have 
been rented to unknown Chinese companies. ---- The Chairman of the Port Authority of 
Alexandria denounced workers, presenting a report, accusing the members of the secretariat 
of the Independent Union of endangering workers and causes damage to public facilities and 
picketing that impeded the work of loading and unloading during the strike.

In principle, the prosecution did not accept the complaint and filed the lawsuit. But the 
company appealed the decision of the prosecutor and the court proceedings were reopened. 
Three times, workers have been called to testify and all three have been released. The 
lawyers have asked an independent expert from the Faculty of Engineering at Alexandria to 
assess the damage to the facilities, questioning the damage report filed by the company.

Finally, the prosecutor referred the case to the court of Alexandria who has ruled for 
three years in prison for the five following employees: Sadek Ahmed Hassan (independent 
union president of the company), Yusry Marouf (secretary general), Ashraf Ibrahim, Mohamed 
Abdel Monem and Essam Eldin Mohamed Mabrouk (workers' representatives in the negotiations 
with the leaders of the Northern military zone and presented the demands of the workers 
during the strike last March).

The Democratic Congress of Egyptian workers (EDLC) and Support Centre labor unions (CTUWS) 
have pledged their full support and solidarity with workers and union representatives 
independent of the company that have merely exercised their right to strike under the 
rules and conventions, and reject any restriction of the right of workers to strike.

The Democratic Congress of Egyptian workers and support center labor unions condemn the 
repression directed independent unions and their representatives freely chosen by workers 
without intermediaries to conduct negotiations with employers and state institutions.

Both organizations are located next to the workers and undertake to provide all kinds of 
support and the necessary legal assistance. At the same time, emphasize the need for a 
broad campaign of solidarity against this ferocious attack on independent trade unions and 
the achievements of the Egyptian working class embodied in the creation of free and 
independent trade unions manipulations.

Taskforce for North Africa of the S. RR. II. General Confederation of Labour CGT
Related Link: http://www.rojoynegro.info
From: Anarkismo.net: http://www.anarkismo.net/article/24024
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