Hundreds of garbage collectors in the Aswan governorate continued to strike for the third day in a row on Thursday to demand permanent contracts and the application of minimum wage.
Aswan local authorities filed official claims against the employees for suspending work and striking after the protesters prevented trucks affiliated to the governorate from leaving the headquarters to collect garbage.
Local authorities resorted to hiring vehicles from NGOs to pick up the garbage. Some residents decided to burn garbage accumulated in the streets on their own.
Several protesters have been working for 16 years and others have been working for six years without permanent contracts, according to the garbage collectors, who said they should have been granted permanent contracts six months after they were appointed.
Finance Ministry officials have told the employees they were promised permanent contracts to calm down the public opinion during the January 25 revolution, according to protesters.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
