Egypt’s train drivers ended Tuesday morning their biggest general strike, which had brought the nation’s railway movement to halt since Sunday.
Egypt National Railways Authority chief Hussein Zakariya said the strike caused losses worth of nearly LE9 million but that 90 percent of the train’s are running again.
He added that the strike ended after the drivers agreed to resume work in exchange for promises to discuss their demands, which include bigger allowances and bonuses equal to those of metro workers, as well as Zakariya’s removal.
Train No. 903, which left Cairo for Alexandria, was the first journey to set off following the end of the strike. Zakariya also said that 19 trains were operating and heading towards destinations in the Delta and in Upper Egypt.
Gebaly al-Maraghy, head of the Egyptian Trade Union Federation, said on Monday that an agreement had been reached with striking drivers’ representatives that they would end their strike, adding that he had promised that their syndicate would have the opportunity to submit their demands to Prime Minister Hesham Qandil, Transportation Minister Hatem Abdel Latif and Manpower and Immigration Minister Khaled al-Azhary and would coordinate with the Egyptian National Railways Authority to solve their problems.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
