Workers from the Railway Authority ended their sit-in on Tuesday when Hani Hegab, the president of the authority, promised to meet their demands, the state-run daily Al-Ahram said on its website. Hegab promised to disburse their bonuses on Wednesday, and requested the transport minister ask the finance ministry to increase their incentives. “We asked Hegab to solve the problem before it escalates,” said Abdel Fattah Fikry, assistant secretary general of the Union of Railway Workers. The Transport Ministry said the Finance Ministry agreed to provide LE120 million in incentives for the Railway Authority's budget for the 2011/2012 fiscal year. Earlier in the day, hundreds of workers gathered outside Hegab's office in Cairo, threatening an open ended strike if their demands were not met. In August, railway workers staged an all over Egypt strike bringing train traffic in Cairo and some governorates to a complete halt after the Railway Authority declined their request for increased salaries and incentives. The authority retreated from its stance the same month.
