Soapbox: Industrial index By Abdel-Ghaffar Shukr Over the past few years, labour strikes became a frequent occurrence. We saw 200 strikes in 2005, then 222 in 2006. The figure almost quadrupled to 800 in 2007 and may double still this year. Most of these strikes are about straightforward professional demands: higher wages, better working conditions, food and transportation allowances, etc. Some of these strikes could have been avoided had the labour unions been doing their job right. Unfortunately, labour leaders fail to pass on workers demands to the management in a timely manner, and sometimes not at all. This is why many workers think that strikes are the only way to secure their rights. There is a missing link in this process; namely, negotiations. But because the unions are not acting in an orderly manner, strikes often precede negotiations. Egyptian workers often exhaust other forms of communication with industrial management, including memoranda and petitions, before going out on strike. That management often ignores worker demands until industrial action is launched, irrespective of how fair these demands may be. Most labour demands are linked to real wages, inflation, and the cost of living. For the past 10 years or so, the prices of basic goods have been rising steadily, triggering one wave after another of industrial action. In 2007, when prices rose significantly, the number of strikes quadrupled. In the past three months, another inflationary wave triggered a spate of industrial actions. We can spare our workers the need to go on strike simply by linking wages to a standard of living index. It is not hard to figure out how much real wages are being eroded and adjust them upwards before workers start taking action. In most strikes, the government and management end up submitting to labour demands, albeit belatedly and grudgingly. This doesn't need to be the case. We can take better care of our workers, and we must. This week's Soapbox speaker is a leading member of the Tagammu Party.
