Hundreds of public transportation workers began an open-ended sit-in Sunday in front of Parliament to protest what they described as a lack of response to their demands.
The workers have officially been on strike for 11 days. They are calling for their authority to become affiliated with the Transportation Ministry, and demand end-of-service payments equal to the sum of 100 monthly salaries.
A delegation of striking workers met with the People’s Assembly Transportation and Telecommunications Committee on Sunday to discuss possible solutions for the crisis. The committee is scheduled to discuss the same issue with the Cairo governor and the transportation minister on Monday.
Tarek Mohamed, a representative of the protesting workers, said, “Our demands are legitimate and we call on the People’s Assembly to endorse our demands in order to end our strike.”
Essam Mahmoud, a driver, said around 500 drivers, conductors and technicians are participating in the sit-in.
Mohamed Youssef, secretary general of the Public Transport Workers Syndicate, said, “We will not end our sit-in this time until all our demands have been met.”
Youssef also accused officials at the Public Transport Authority of corruption.
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
