Some 1800 workers from the South Valley Agricultural Development Company and the Ramses Agricultural Services Company in Toshka declared an open strike on Wednesday, threatening to torch their respective companies' premises if their demands were not met. Strikers accuse company president Seoudi Eleiwa of embezzling LE35 million. Meanwhile, in the electricity sector, Mohamed Awad, president of the Egyptian Holding Company for Electricity, dismissed Awad Fathi al-Deeb, president of the Central Delta Electricity Company. The move was an attempt to pacify disgruntled workers, who have been staging protests for several days to demand al-Deeb's dismissal. Workers from the East Delta Electricity Company also continued to protest on Wednesday to demand the dismissal of Mahmoud al-Naqib, head of the company's production department, who protesters say had arbitrarily fired many of them. Meanwhile, scores of teachers contracted on a temporary basis by the Ministry of Education staged protests to demand permanent contracts and pay raises. And at the National Railways Authority, some 300 laid-off workers staged protests to demand that they be reinstated. A military vehicle arrived at the building to protect it after the armed forces were informed of the protest. Also, some 1500 workers from the Loqma Pipes Factory held 50 employees hostage in an effort to force company chairman Ahmed Abdel Azim Loqma to give them salary raises and bonuses. Workers from Cairo International Airport and the Nile Cotton Company also staged demonstrations to demand bonuses and better working conditions. And in 6 October City, roughly 450 workers from the Cleaning Authority staged protests to demand improved financial conditions. In Minya, meanwhile, university graduates blocked the Minya-Aswan highway to demand government jobs. In Qena, 400 workers from the Hebi Pharmaceutical Company also blocked the highway to express their grievances. They say they have not received salaries for the last two years. And in Sharqiya, workers from Hakim Plastics managed to block the Cairo-Ismailia highway for a full three hours to demand higher salaries before the armed forces intervened to disperse them. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
