Thousands of employees from the Justice Ministry's notary offices nationwide threatened to go on strike at the end of Ramadan following the ministry's denial on Thursday that it agreed the offices would be made independent.
On Monday, an employee on the committee charged with negotiating with the ministry said that Justice Minister Mohamed Abdel Aziz al-Guindi agreed to employee demands and had given preliminary approval for the notary offices to become independent from the ministry.
Dozens of notary employees on Monday suspended their nearly week long sit-in outside the ministry following that announcement. Employees in offices across the country had protested for nearly a month for the independence, better salaries and shorter working hours.
Salah Khalifa, one of the employees on the negotiating committee, said the protest and sit-in was suspended based on Guindi’s promises that a draft law to make the notary offices independent from the ministry would be presented to a committee headed by the assistant justice minister for legislative affairs.
Khalifa threatened employees would begin a general strike if the legislative committee does not meet on 8 August to discuss a draft law.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
