LABOR STRIKES IN ALEXANDRIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALEXANDRIA 00524

DEPT FOR S/IL AND NEA/RA - HOLLY

E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PGOV PINS ELAB EG
SUBJECT: LABOR STRIKES IN ALEXANDRIA


1. (CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.)


2. SUMMARY. AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF A GENERALLY CALM
LABOR SCENE IN EGYPT, ALEXANDRIA SECURITY OFFICE HAS
CORROBORATED AN OPPOSITION PRESS REPORT THAT A LABOR
STRIKE HAD OCCURRED AT A FACTORY IN THE ALEXANDRIA SUBURB
OF ABU KIR. HOWEVER, THE SOURCE PROFESSED IGNORANCE
CONCERNING THE OPPOSITION JOURNAL'S ALLEGATION OF A
SECOND WORK STOPPAGE IN THE ALEXANDRIA AREA, INVOLVING
A DEFENSE PLANT. END SUMMARY.


3. BACKGROUND: TRANQUIL LABOR SCENE. SINCE THE FLARE-
UP OF WORKER VIOLENCE AT THE DELTA TEXTILE MANUFACTURING
CENTER OF KAFFAR AL-DAWWAR LAST SEPTEMBER, THE
EGYPTIAN LABOR SCENE, TO ALL APPEARANCES, HAS BEEN
GENERALLY CALM. IN THE INTERVENING MONTHS, OUR TRADE
UNION CONTACTS--ALWAYS RELUCTANT TO DISCUSS THE SUBJECT
OF LABOR UNREST--HAVE REPEATEDLY ASSURED US THAT ALL IS
QUIET ON THE LABOR FRONT, PROTRAYING WORKERS' RELATIONS
WITH BOTH MANAGEMENT AND THE GOE AS HARMONIOUS. REFLECT-
ING THE PLACID LABOR SITUATION IS THE FACT THAT OF LATE,
THE OPPOSITION PRESS HAS OMITTED ANY MENTION OF STRIKES
OR OTHER SIGNIFICANT LABOR TROUBLE. IN THE PAST, ONE
OPPOSITION PAPER IN PARTICULAR, THE LEFTIST NATIONAL
PROGRESSIVE UNIONIST GROUPING PARTY'S (NPUG) WEEKLY,
AL-AHALI, HAD OCCASIONALLY ALLEGED THIS OCCURRENCE OF
STRIKES AND SIMILAR LABOR DIFFICULTIES. AS FOR THE
"NATIONAL," PLO-GOE MEDIA, THEY AVOID DISCUSSION OF
LABOR TROUBLE ALTOGETHER.
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4. STRIKES IN ALEXANDRIA AREA. ON JUNE 19, HOWEVER,
AL-AHALI BROKE ITS UNUSUAL SILENCE IN A BRIEF, PAGE-ONE
STORY, WHERE IT REPORTED THAT NATIONAL SECURITY POLICE
RECENTLY STORMED TWO FACTORIES IN THE ALEXANDRIA AREA TO
BREAK UP MASS MEETINGS OF STRIKING WORKERS. (COMMENT:
THE PAPER GAVE NO SPECIFIC DATES FOR THE INCIDENTS. END
COMMENT.) ACCORDING TO THE PAPER, IN BOTH INCIDENTS,
ONE INVOLVING THE ABU KIR ENGINEERING INDUSTRIES' COMPANY
AND THE OTHER THE "MOHARREM BEY DEFENSE PLANT," POLICE
EVICTED THE STRIKERS AND THEN CLOSED THE FACTORIES.
AL-AHALI'S ACCOUNT MADE NO REFERENCE TO ANY ARRESTS OR
INJURIES RESULTING FROM THE POLICE INTERVENTION. WORKERS
STRUCK THE ABU KIR PLANT, SAID AL-AHALI, OVER MANAGEMENT'S
FAILURE, SINCE LAST JANUARY, TO PAY MONTHLY PRODUCTION
BONUSES. THE PAPER SAID NOTHING ABOUT WORKERS' GRIEVANCES
AT THE DEFENSE PLANT.


5. SECURITY OFFICIAL'S CORROBORATION. IN JUNE 24 MEETING
WITH PSO, ALEXANDRIA SECURITY OFFICIAL CONFIRMED THE
OCCURRENCE OF A STRIKE AT THE ABU KIR FACTORY OVER THE
NON-PAYMENT OF WORKERS' BONUSES. THE OFFICIAL PROVIDED
FEW DETAILS ON THE EVENT AND DOWNPLAYED ITS SIGNIFICANCE,
PORTRAYING IT AS A RARE AND ISOLATED CASE OF WORKERS
EXPRESSING THEIR UNHAPPINESS OVER A FACTORY-SPECIFIC,
BREAD-AND-BUTTER ISSUE. THE SOURCE APPEARED TO IMPLY
THAT POLICE HAD INTERVENED TO HALT THE WORKERS' PROTEST,
BUT WOULD NOT CONFIRM WHETHER THE INCIDENT HAD RESULTED
IN ANY ARRESTS OR INJURIES.


6. DEFENSE PLANT. PERHAPS INDICATIVE OF EGYPTIANS'
SENSITIVITY AND SECRECY REGARDING THE DEFENSE INDUSTRY,
THE SECURITY OFFICIAL DENIED HAVING ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THE
SECOND REPORTED INCIDENT, AT THE MOHARREM BEY FACTORY.
WHEN PSO MENTIONED AL-AHALI'S STORY, THE OFFICIAL REMARKED
CALMLY "I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT" AND THEN
CHANGED THE SUBJECT.


7. COMMENT: AT THIS JUNCTURE, WE DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH
CREDENCE TO GIVE TO AL-AHALI'S REPORT OF LABOR TROUBLE AT
THE MOHARREM BEY DEFENSE PLANT. WHILE THE PAPER'S
REPORTING OFTEN LACKS OBJECTIVITY AND ACCURACY, LABOR
TROUBLE IN SUCH MILITARY-RUN (BUT CIVILIAN-MANNED)
FACTORIES IS NOT UNKNOWN; IN APRIL 1984, FOR EXAMPLE,
VARIOUS SOURCES CONFIRMED THE OUTBREAK OF A STRIKE--BROKE
UP BY POLICE--AT A DEFENSE PLANT NEAR CAIRO. IN ADDITION
TO THIS PRECEDENT, THE SECURITY OFFICIAL UNHESITATINGLY
CONFIRMED AL-AHALI'S REPORT OF THE OTHER STRIKE, AT THE
ABU KIR SITE. WE WILL PURSUE THE AL-AHALI STORY WITH OUR
CONTACTS AND REPORT FURTHER AS WARRANTED. END COMMENT.


COOK