CAIRO: Some 1,300 workers from Cairo's public transport company went on strike protesting low wages and harassment by traffic police, leaving thousands of commuters stranded in the summer heat, police said. Drivers, ticket collectors and mechanics at almost half of the company's terminals joined the strike. Hundreds of riot police were stationed around several of the terminals to prevent the workers from taking to the streets. However, other reports claim that over 15,000 public transportation workers ranging from drivers, collectors and mechanics, threatened to go on an open strike Tuesday, paralyzing the traffic flow in Cairo, should the Public Transport Authority fail to meet their demands. Drivers and collectors criticized the transport authority for loading the traffic violation fines on their salaries that doesn't exceed LE 500 at best. Some fines can reach LE 3,000, under the new traffic law issued in 2008. Drivers say police officials impose unfair fines on irregularities they didn't commit, stressing on police officers' ill-treatment. However, Ahmed Ibrahim, secretary general of the General Union for Land Transport Workers, told Daily News Egypt the situation was contained after the union's president El-Gabaly Mohamed visited the workers. "He listened and discussed their demands especially concerning the groundless fines and the neglect of maintenance, he said. "The situation has been peacefully resolved, he said. A driver, who refused to have his name published, told Daily News Egypt that the strike is limited. In addition to some drivers who decided in the last minute not to participate, other drivers went on their daily routes, but reduced the number of the stops they usually make and the number of rounds. Salah Farag, president of the Public Transport Authority, had decided earlier this month to form a new fund known as the "violations' fund, to help drivers pay for their fines in loans. He said that drivers, along with the transport authority, are to contribute to this fund. Drivers allege that the Public Transport Authority suffers many problems revolving mainly around low salaries, unpaid bonuses and end-of-service payments that force a lot of experienced drivers to move to other private companies. The first major strike of this kind was held in 2007 when approximately 2,000 workers protested against low wages and salary incentives, preventing 250 buses as well as metro cars from leaving their stations. - Additional reporting by AP
