CAIRO: In a show of support, a delegation from the Tadamon movement visited the workers on strike at the Tanta Flax and Oil Company this week. Security forces at the gate tried to prevent the activists from entering, but striking workers threatened to break the gate if the delegation was not allowed through. As strikes and sit-ins at the factory continue, foreign journalists have reportedly been denied access to factory grounds by security forces. Dalia Moussa, of the Tadamon movement, said security forces sent them on a wild goose chase around the gates the same way they did with the journalists. The strike that entered its second month is facing a stagnant phase; the administration still refuses to negotiate with the 900 workers staging a sit-in just inside the factory's gate. "The workers told us they miss the machines, they want to go back to work, Moussa said. "They also said that they would stay on strike for as long as it takes. The workers are calling for rehiring nine colleagues who were fired, including two syndicated workers, their share of the factory's profits of the past five years, higher meal expenses and better work conditions. According to Moussa, the workers were chanting anti-privatization slogans. Abdullah Al-Kakey, the Saudi investor that bought the factory, is allegedly unwilling to negotiate with the workers. The workers allege that the investor might have a hidden agenda that does not serve the factory's interests. Al-Kakey bought the company's other 10 factories scattered in Egypt, among other assets, for LE 83 million. "One of the recently built factories is worth LE 60 million alone, Safwat Michel, a spokesman for the workers, told Daily News Egypt in a previous interview in Tanta. Moussa stressed that visits help the workers' strike as well as garner media attention. "They seemed enduring and in high spirits, but who knows for how long, she added. However, Moussa maintained that it is more important for workers to continue to support each other, even if individual demands were met. While Michel warns of an escalation in the strikes, Moussa remains skeptical. "The syndicate is trying to control any possible escalation and they might succeed in doing so, she added.
