CAIRO- After a meeting between the Egyptian minister of manpower and representatives of the public transport workers concluded on Tuesday, workers have decided to postpone their strike until October 10. Present in the meeting was Ahmed el-Borei Minister of Manpower, Cairo Governor Abdel Kawy Khalifa and Head of the General Transport Authority Mona Mostafa. All three agreed to the suspension and workers are to resume work during the interim period. Another meeting is expected to be held between the representatives of both the ministry of finance and the strikers to discuss the increase in worker's wages in the Public Transport Authority. El-Borei has also asked the workers to prepare their demands properly in coordination with the authority directors, the governorate and the syndicate. Al-Borei has said the demands should be finished within the next 15 days. The workers' wages and bonuses would increase once the study conducted by the Minister of Finance is finished, the Authority Director said. El-Borei had originally refused to meet with the strikers, but as more and more garages in Cairo joined the strike, the minister finally met to discuss. The original demands were an increase in minimum wage rates to be 700 Egyptian pounds, a call supported across the board in the government job sectors of teaching and medicine. The bus strikers also demanded uniforms, upgraded bus fleets, bonuses and a retirement bonus.
