The “Committee for Justice” (CFJ) has documented an open-ended strike by workers of the Oriental Weavers Group in 10th of Ramadan City, across all its branches, since Tuesday, January 28, in protest against what they perceived as a decline in the value of their annual bonus.
The workers explained that the company’s management had reneged on its promise to increase the annual bonus by 40%, instead limiting it to just 5%. This was significantly lower than the previous year’s increase of 15%.
The strike involved more than 20,000 workers across approximately 15 factories, in addition to the company’s private hospital.
The company’s management had recently announced an increase in the minimum wage to 7,000 EGP, but without considering job seniority. This decision angered workers, as it meant that employees who had been with the company for over ten years would receive the same salary as newly hired workers. This led to a protest, which later escalated into a strike.
In response, the company’s management completely ignored the workers’ demands and began shutting factory doors, halting transportation services for employees, and canceling work shifts—actions that are considered violations of labor laws.
In a subsequent development, the strike was suspended following a meeting between the company’s owner, Yasmin Khamis, the company’s management, and workers’ representatives. The parties reached an agreement to restructure wages within 15 days.
CFJ welcomes the positive engagement of the “Oriental Weavers” management with the workers’ fair demands and urges continued dialogue to find mutually agreeable solutions. The committee also calls on the Egyptian Ministry of Manpower to intervene, stand by the workers, and support their rights.
