Truck drivers are trucking and pharmacies are open. Reem Leila reports on how two strikes were headed off simultaneously Driving a bargain Trailer drivers halt their four-day strike after reaching a compromise A deal was clinched on Tuesday between trailer drivers and Hamdi El-Tahhan, head of the Peoples' Assembly Transport Committee, after truckers stopped working in protest against provisions in the traffic law, which came into effect in August last year, that ban articulated trailers after a two-year grace period. Under the terms of the agreement the grace period will be extended, allowing the owners of trailers more time to modify their vehicles. Truckers nationwide had called on President Hosni Mubarak, the People's Assembly and the prime minister to halt the implementation of the article in the new traffic law which bans the use, import and manufacture of trailers. They had announced a strike beginning on 13 February in support of their demands. Truckers have threatened to sell their trailers and stop working altogether if the law is enforced. "The provisions are harsh and will cost many drivers, owners and stakeholders in the field their jobs and businesses. Thousands will be unemployed," says truck owner Sayed Othman. The strike action, which has blocked roads in some parts of Egypt, turned violent on Monday. Police detained 57 truck drivers as the strike entered its fourth day and were then forced to fire teargas to disperse protesters who marched on police stations in an attempt to free the detainees. Other drivers have been fined for obstructing the highways. Despite the prevalence of reports of the strike Sherif Gomaa, first deputy minister of interior for specialised police, denied a nationwide strike was taking place. "There is no irregular behaviour or riots in any part of the country," Gomaa told Al-Ahram daily newspaper. Such denials carry little weight with the owners of grocery stores, who are facing problems securing supplies, or those trying to buy cement, which has increased by up to 15 per cent in price owing to the limited number of deliveries being received. "I made an order more than a week ago and have yet to receive anything," says grocery store owner Sayed Ahmed. If it carries on like this for much longer I'll be forced to shut up shop." Kamal El-Mongi, deputy to the minister of transport, hopes the problem might be solved soon. Negotiations are ongoing between the ministries of transport, trade and industry, the General Union of Chambers of Commerce and the truck owners. "We all agreed that for the time being truck owners must adjust their trailers in order not to jeopardise other drivers' lives. A fund is to be created in order to assist truck owners and drivers in buying new vehicles that meet the stipulations of the new traffic law. Training centres will also be set up for drivers," said El-Mongi. Ahmed El-Zeini, head of the Transport Committee at the Industries Union, insists the strike will continue until the government responds to all the demands of truck drivers and owners. "How can the truck's shape be readjusted? And at what cost? And when will this training institute to train already trained drivers begin operations?" asks El-Zeini. "Truck drivers are very unhappy with all the suggestions they have heard." During last June's People Assembly discussions of the traffic law articles banning taxi licence renewals for vehicles older than 20 years and large trailers proved the most controversial. Ezzat Badawi, deputy head of the Transport Committee at the People's Assembly, says the government is doing everything in its power to make the changes as painless as possible. "There is a fund set up by the Ministry of Finance to assist drivers in converting their vehicles," he said. "These trailers currently cause 37 per cent of road accidents. It was time for something to be done." Last month the Ministry of Interior rejected a request by several MPs to amend the two contentious articles. Opposition MP Sabri Amer argued at the time that even if the new law makes sense technically, it cannot be implemented for economic reasons. The law threatens the incomes of a large number of Egyptian taxi drivers, and at a time of rising unemployment," says Amer. "The article regarding trailers could mean their owners lose up to LE120,000 per truck."
