Rail Strike in Egypt Brings Transport to a Standstill

Train drivers in Egypt brought the rail network to a standstill on Sunday, April 7th, by staging a strike. The strike continued into Monday, with no resolution in sight.

Drivers and conductors walked out following rejection of a ten per cent pay rise offer as too little. The offer, to have begun in May, was made by Minister of Transportation Hatem Abdel-Latif on Saturday afternoon. Talks were continuing, with workers asking for payment for overtime and worked holidays, as well as an additional LE300 per month on their salary. Train drivers claim they are subject to long working hours in poor working conditions.

Head of the Egyptian Rail Authority, Hussein Zakaria said the drivers’ strike had completely paralysed the entire railway system, but he confirmed that buses have replaced trains on some services. Some reports claim the drivers are also demanding the replacement of Zakaria at the Rail Authority.

A spate of accidents in Egypt has highlighted the parlous state of the railway network, following years of neglect. There has been widespread public anger at the lack of progress in the matter following an accident in which a train carrying military conscripts derailed in January, leading to 19 deaths.