The Egyptian military has arrested ten people from among 15,000 workers at the investment free zone in Ismailia who were demonstrating in favor of salary increases, according to a security source.
The protesters were arrested after they blocked the Ismailia-Cairo road, said the source, adding that armed forces personnel tried to disperse protesters and re-open the road, at which point protesters started to throw stones.
The clashes left 36 workers and two military police officers injured. Of these, 23 people needed hospital treatment, medics said.
The workers from at least 80 factories which produce textiles and leather have been striking throughout this week to demand better wages.
The ten workers arrested are currently being held by the military prosecution while their cases are investigated.
It was the second day of a strike by the workers who are demanding that the minimum monthly wage be raised to LE 1,200 (around US$200).
They also want long-term contracts in order to qualify for benefits and a reduction in the numbers of foreign workers employed at the site.
Activists have been critical of the practices of referring civilians to military courts, saying that suspects are not given proper opportunities to defend themselves against charges.
However, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) says that such trials are an exeptional and temporary measure necessitated by the current conditions of instability in the country.
