Coronavirus (Covid-19) has dominated citizens’ attention in Egypt and the whole world. During the past 15 days, ANHRI’s Trade Unions, Labor Protests and Social Movements Monitoring Center has documented at least 8 labor and professional protests, including 4 labor protests and 4 social protest movements, in addition to 3 cases of gathering demanding access to goods and services in light of the measures imposed by the Egyptian authorities to limit the spread of the Coronavirus outbreak.
First: Labor Protests and Social Movements
- A) Labor Protest
* An investment readymade garment company goes on a strike:
On 22 March, about 4,500 persons working at one of the major investment companies in the ready-made garments sector in the Free Zone area in Ismailia governorate went on a strike that lasted for two days to demand the implementation of the Cabinet’s decision to reduce the number of employees in the public and private sectors until the end of March.
* Helwan Public Hospital nurses organize a labor strike:
In the morning of March 23, a group of Helwan Public Hospital’s supervising nurses and workers staged a protest in the hospital after reporting two suspected coronavirus cases inside the hospital’s Intensive care room while facing a shortage of medical supplies.
* Dozens of workers at “Sierra” Travel Company organize a protest:
On 25 March, dozens of workers at “Sierra” Travel Company organized a gathering to protest their arbitrary dismissal after suspend airlines flights due to coronavirus outbreak without taking into account their social conditions.
* Egyptian Premier League referees threaten to protest
A number of referees at the Egyptian Premier League threatened to stage a protest to object to the five-year committee that runs the Egyptian Football Association; after delaying their financial dues for the current season following the decision to suspend sport activities, despite receiving several promises.
- B) Social Protests
* Three female activists organize a protest demanding the release of prisoners amid coronavirus outbreak
On 18 March, the mother of political activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah, along with her sister Dr. Ahdaf Soueif and her daughter Mona Seif, and academic Dr. Rabab al-Mahdi staged a protest in front of the Cabinet’s headquarters calling for prisoners to be freed over fears of a coronavirus outbreak in the country’s overcrowded jails. The security forces, in response, arrested the three activists.
* Security forces disperse night demonstrations pray for the coronavirus to end
In the early hours of March 24, the security forces in Alexandria governorate dispersed demonstrations staged by dozens of citizens, who gathered in several areas of Alexandria governorate to pray for the coronavirus crisis to come to an end.
* Sudanese stranded in Egypt announce a hunger strike
A number of stranded Sudanese in southern Egypt’s As Sibaiyyah area went on a hunger strike since the night of March 29 after the competent authority ordered not to open the crossings to receive them.
* Egyptian returnees from Kuwait demonstrated in Cairo airport refusing to be quarantined
A group of the Egyptian returnees from Kuwait staged a protest in Cairo airport expressing their rejection to be quarantined as a precautionary procedure to prevent the virus outbreak.
The recent measures taken by the Egyptian government have also led a number of people to stage gatherings calling for providing essential goods and services. For example, a group of craftsmen and irregular workers gathered in front of one of the Internet centers to register their data in the Ministry of Manpower’s electronic database in order to obtain the exceptional grants announced by the government. A number of people also gathered in the city of 10th of Ramadan at Sharqyia governorate on March 27, to purchase vegetables from cars belonging to the National Company for Protected Crops and Agricultural Greenhouses. On March 27, dozens of Aswan residents also gathered in front of bakeries in the city to buy bread before the curfew which led to a big mess and serious overcrowding disrupting the movement of traffic.
Second: Professional associations/ Trade unions
The decisions carried out by the Egyptian government to limit the spread of the coronovirus have affected the activities of trade and professional unions. On March 18, the General Union of dentists’ board decided to postpone the midterm elections scheduled for March 26, to be held instead on 16 April 2020, unless a court order or a State Council’s fatwa rules otherwise.
On the other hand, the Egyptian security forces raided the house of unionist Ali Mohamed Salah Ajaj, undersecretary of the Suez Bar Association and Chairman of the Liberties Committee on Thursday evening, March 19, before taking him to an unknown destination.
Furthermore, writer Mohamed Hassan Ibrahim Ahmed, a member of the General Assembly of the Egyptian Writers Union announced on March 29 that he had sent an official warning to the office of Minister of Culture Dr. Enas Abdel Dayem calling on her to form a committee to facilitate the functioning of the union’s Council until the General Assembly is convened , after announcing the postponement of the General Assembly’s meeting for the 29th of next May.
