Busworkers lead fightback from Cairo to Athens

Egypt

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ost of Cairos public buses were languishing in their garages on Wednesday as bus drivers and ticket collectors maintained their strike to demand improved working conditions and better salaries. Workers at 20 out of the capitals 24 public bus depots had reportedly joined the strike. We will remain on strike until were treated like human beings and provided with a minimum wage, 45-year-old ticket collector at the Public Transport Authority (PTA) Hesham Abdel Hakim told Ahram Online. With my current salary, I cant even buy clothes for my children. Management failed to meet union demands which included a raise in incentive pay to 200 percent. On Wednesday agents of the security services went to the bus garages in an attempt to arrest the leaders of the independent unions, but the workers repelled them. The independent union is in negotiations with the Public Transport Authority management but the strike is continuing in the garages. On Thursday busworkers took their fight to the streets, demonstrating outside the offices of the Board of Public Transport. Its really important that drivers in this country offer their support to the workers fighting back in Egypt. Even a few lines can boost the moral of workers fighting back under very difficult circumstances. Send messages of solidarity for the strike to: eiuf2011@gmail.com

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Cairo drivers picket

Greece

Meanwhile in Athens thousands of Greek public-transport workers walked off the job on Thursday in a 24-hour strike over austerity attacks. The walkout halted all mass transit around the Greek capital, leading to massive traffic jams during the morning rush hour. The strike, involving bus workers alongside, subway, tram, electric rail, trolley and suburban rail workers, is the first in a series of protests planned for coming days over the latest cutbacks. Greeces two main unions have announced a national public-sector strike for 5 October, and a national general strike on 19 October. Under pressure from its international creditors, Greeces government decided late Wednesday to implement fresh pension cuts, levy new taxes for low-income earners and put 30,000 public workers in a special labour reserve at reduced pay this year. Cuts in public-sector wages and other measures are also planned.

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Liverpool road, manchester m3 4Jr assemble 12 noon called by the TUc initiated by right to Work

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