Independent union leaders representing 45,000 Cairo Public Transport Authority workers appeared to have reached a deal to suspend the week-long strike on 27 September, following negotiations with the Minister of Labour, Ahmad al-Borai, Mona Mostafa, head of the Public Transport Authority and the Governor of Cairo.

The agreement set down a timetable for meeting a number of the workers’ demands, following a period in which the Public Transport Authority and the Ministry of Finance agreed to look at ways to implement workers’ demands for improved pay, bigger bonuses, investment in the bus fleet and an end to corruption in the authority.

Mass meetings at the garages on 28 September rejected the deal however, and striking workers confirmed to Al-Ishtaraki newspaper that the strike was still on, arguing that the agreement did not meet their key demands.

Send messages of support for the striking public transport workers via the Egyptian Federation of Independent Unions: eiuf2011@gmail.com