4 June 2011

Translation of report by Ashraf Omar and Haitham Muhammadain (http://www.e-socialists.net/node/6969)

The Disciplinary Court of the Presidency of the Republic today reserved judgement in the case against Ali Fattouh, president of the Cairo Independent Public Transport Workers Union, until its session on 25 June. Dozens of workers from the Public Transport Authority attended the hearing in solidarity with the colleague and the president of their union, and three gave evidence to the court denying the charges against Ali Fattouh.

The complaint filed by the Cairo Public Transport Authority against Ali Fattouh is based on his participation in a conference called by the Workers’ Preparatory Committee held at the Journalists’ Union on 10 September 2009, shortly after the Public Transport Authority workers’ strike of August the same year. Following newspaper reports of the conference, the Public Transport Authority is accusing Ali Fattouh of inciting workers to strike, insulting the management of the Transport Authority and disclose information relating to his employment without prior authorization.

Yet the case was only raised against Ali Fattouh after the foundation of the independent transport workers’ union, and his election as union president this April, showing clear that this is a prosecution driven by a desire to attack workers’ rights to independent union organisation.

What you can do:

To send a message of solidarity to Ali Fattouh, email menasolidarity@gmail.com and we will pass it on to his lawyers.

To add your signature to the statement against the laws criminalising protests and strikes also email menasolidarity@gmail.com Full text of the statement can be found here.