MORE ON LABOR STRIKE IN ALEXANDRIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALEXANDRIA 00547 DEPT FOR S/IL AND NEA/RA - HOLLY DEPT PLS PASS DEPT OF LABOR E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR TAGS: PGOV PINS ELAB EG SUBJECT: MORE ON LABOR STRIKE IN ALEXANDRIA REF: ALEXANDRIA 524 ¶1. (CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.) ¶2. SINCE SUBMISSION OF REFTEL, ANOTHER LOCAL SECURITY OFFICIAL HAS CONFIRMED TO US THAT A LABOR STRIKE OCCURRED IN MID-JUNE AT THE NEARBY ABU KIR ENGINEERING INDUSTRIES FACTORY, RESULTING IN AUTHORITIES' CLOSING IT FOR TWO DAYS--JUNE 19-20. THE OFFICIAL CONFIRMED THAT POLICE INTERVENED TO BREAK UP THE STRIKE, BUT LIKE THE SECURITY CONTACT CITED IN REFTEL, SAID HE KNEW NOTHING OF ARRESTS OR INJURIES. INTERESTINGLY, THE LATTER SOURCE INDICATED THAT CONTRARY TO OUR UNDERSTANDING, THE ABU KIR FACTORY IS RUN BY THE MILITARY, ALTHOUGH THE WORKERS ARE CIVILIAN. WHILE DENYING THE OCCURRENCE OF A SECOND STRIKE, AT THE MOHARREM BEY DEFENSE PLANT, HE DID SAY THAT, AS PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE, FOLLOWING THE ABU KIR INCIDENT, SECURITY POLICE WERE DEPLOYED AROUND THE MOHARREM BEY FACILITY. ¶3. IN ADDITION TO THE NATIONAL PROGRESSIVE UNIONIST GROUPING PARTY'S WEEKLY, AL-AHALI, ANOTHER OPPOSITION JOURNAL, THE SOCIALIST LABOR PARTY'S ASH-SHAAB, ALSO REPORTED ON ALEXANDRIA'S LABOR TROUBLE. ACCORDING TO ASH-SHAAB, IT WAS AT THE INSTRUCTION OF THE GOE'S MINISTER OF STATE FOR MILITARY PRODUCTION, GAMAL IBRAHIM, THAT THE ABU KIR PLANT WAS CLOSED FOR TWO DAYS, IN REACTION TO THE STRIKE OVER NON-PAYMENT OF WORKERS' BONUSES. - ¶4. WITH OUR SECURITY SOURCES REPORTING THAT ALL IS NOW BACK TO NORMAL AT THE ABU KIR FACTORY, THE OPPOSITION PRESS ALSO SEEMS TO CONSIDER THE MATTER CLOSED: NEITHER ASH-SHAAB NOR AL-AHALI CONTAINED A FOLLOW-UP STORY ON THE INCIDENT IN THEIR LATEST EDITIONS, JUNE 25 AND 26, RESPECTIVELY. ¶5. COMMENT: THE INCIDENT AT THE ABU KIR FACTORY SEEMS TO FIT THE PATTERN OF THE FEW LABOR STRIKES THAT OCCUR IN EGYPT: A BRIEF FLARE-UP OF WORKER UNREST, CONFINED TO A SPECIFIC FACTORY, AND FOCUSED ON BREAD-AND-BUTTER ISSUES. WHAT IS NOT TYPICAL ABOUT THIS STRIKE IS THAT IT APPARENTLY INVOLVED THE DEFENSE INDUSTRY, WHICH WOULD ACCOUNT FOR THE B BWPID RESPONSE BY THE AUTHORITIES--AT BOTH THE ABU KIR AND MOHARREM BEY SITES. END COMMENT. COOK