Work at the Sukari gold mine in the Marsa Alam area has ground to a halt after 900 employees announced Thursday they are striking for better pay and working conditions.
The protesting employees blocked the road leading to the mine in the Red Sea Governorate, and the Marsa Alam police station was notified. Some of them also began hunger strikes to call attention to their demands.
Several miners told Al-Masry Al-Youm that their strike would continue until their demands are met. They called on the petroleum minister, Public Authority for Mineral Wealth officials, Parliament and the cabinet to intervene and protect gold reserves at the mine.
Esmat al-Raghy, the public relations official for the mine, said the workers' demands that had previously been agreed on had been met. He called on the ruling military council and the Interior Ministry to tighten security at the mine, where a large amount of gold discovered over the past few weeks is being held. He also said it is difficult for the mine to operate in light of frequent strikes.
Miners have taken similar action several times over the past two months, accusing administrators of not fulfilling promises to increase their salaries.
According to official reports, the mine yielded seven tons of gold in 2010, and authorities say the mine may become one of the top 10 gold mines in the world.
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
