CAIRO: At a Revolution Day celebration in Alexandria on Sunday, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Tarek Kamel announced that postal workers shall receive significant bonuses for their recent performance. Kamel made the announcement at the opening of the recently renovated Borg El Arab post office in Alexandria. During his address, Kamel applauded the performance of employees but only vaguely and fleetingly acknowledged the protests among postal workers in recent months. On Sunday, the official news agency MENA reported that Kamel is extending the bonuses postal workers across the country will be receiving in proportion to their wages and the relative success of the districts within which they operate. The bonuses are being rewarded on account of the overall growth of 22 percent. Best performances - of over 100 percent growth - were recorded in Cairo, Marsa Matrouh and Giza. Workers in these areas will receive a one-month bonus. Workers in East Cairo, South Sinai, Sharqeya, Sohag, Central and Northern Cairo, the Red Sea, Luxor and Daqahleya will be receiving half-month bonuses for their growth of 30 percent. Three distinguished employees in the insurance unit of the post branch were also recognized and awarded. Kamel said that the postal sector was in transition but that its future purpose and success in each looked bright. He also commended postal workers for their critical role in bolstering communications and IT in Egypt. Postal workers fall under the same ministry as communications and IT, a union which is beginning to appear rather undesirable to leadership. In recent months postal workers have demanded wages and benefits similar to those of other employees in the ministry. In Kamel s closing remarks, however, he said that the postal and communications branches of the ministry are completely separate and comparison between employees of the two branches is unfair and unnecessary. Last week another round of protests occurred outside of the Central Post Office in Cairo, where representatives reiterated the 10 demands of their colleagues. Since May workers have protested and threatened to strike if the ministry and Alaa Fahmy, chairman of the National Post Authority, do not acquiesce or at the very least respond to their actions. Postal workers wages are reportedly just one third of their telecommunications counterparts. Workers are also seeking pension and dismissal rights and benefits as well as Saturdays off, privileges that telecommunications workers already enjoy.
