Around 400 workers and human rights activists demonstrated outside the Cabinet in downtown Cairo Saturday asking the Government to implement a court ruling to set a minimum for their wages. The protestors raised banners and shouted slogans on loudspeakers as they were surrounded by black-clad riot police. "Wake up Egyptian labourers. You are robbed. Do something to change the current situation," a banner read. The demonstration was joined by employees at the Land Reclamation Authority, the Telephone Equipment Company and activists from the April 6 Movement as well the Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rights(CESR) a non-governmental group, which organised the protest. "The Egyptian labourer is the real owner of this country. He deserves better work conditions and a higher pay," said Khaled Ali, the head of CESR Saturday. He added that the workers would not accept a minimum wage lower than LE1,200 ($200). An administrative court on Tuesday obliged that the Government to set a minimum wage. The ruling urgedPrime Minister Ahmed Nazif and Minister of Economic Development Osman Mohamed Osman, also head of the National Wages Council (NWC), to act promptly on this issue. Kamal Abou Eitta, the head of the independent Real State Employees Association, lead Saturday's demonstration holding a microphone and wearing a French-cap as he was carried on shoulders by other protesters. "If the minimum wages were not set, we would hold another protest on the Labour Day on the first of May," Abou Eitta said. He added that the Egyptian workers could go on a strike if "governmental negligence" continued. The NWC was created in 2003 with the task of putting in place a minimum wage in line with the cost of living - a mandate it has yet to fulfil seven years later. "Increasing wages within the State's current budget is possible. Therefore, our demonstration is of great importance," said the CSER in an early statement obtained by The Gazette. Speaker of the People's Assembly Ahmed Fathi Sorour last week asked the Government to raise the salaries of university graduates. "If the university graduate will get LE100 when he completes studies, it's better to cancel university education," Sorour said.
