Workers, Pharmacists, Nurses & Disabled Protest in Cairo

AL-MASRY AL-YOUM
A day of protests
Wed, 24/02/2010

Pharmacists

Around 300 pharmacists protested on Tuesday in front of the Doctors Syndicate against a decision by the health minister requiring pharmacies to have a minimum floor area of 40 square meters. Security forces prevented the pharmacists from staging their protest in front of the health ministry's headquarters.

The syndicate issued a statement in which it said it had requested the Minister of the Interior for permission to organize a march from the Doctors Syndicate to the Ministry of Health. The request had been declined, said the statement.

Although a protest in front of the ministry had been approved by both security forces and the syndicate, according to the syndicate's statement, security "notified the syndicate at short notice" that the protest in front of the ministry was not in fact approved. The pharmacists questioned what security concerns their "professional" protest could possibly pose.

Zein el-Abideen, syndicate treasurer, said the syndicate was planning a gradual escalation against the health minister.

Tanta Flax workers

Workers from the Tanta Flax and Oils Company fiercely attacked MP Ahmed Shoubeir in a statement they issued on Tuesday. They accused him of having opposed them since they began their sit-in, despite the fact that he is the representative for their constituency.

The protesting workers also criticized Aisha Abdel Hadi, Manpower and Migration Minister, for her absence, along with that of other concerned government officials from the People's Assembly's Manpower Committee, which discussed the workers' demands on Monday.

The workers, have been protesting for 16 days, and suspended their sit-in on Tuesday 6 PM, after accepting a government offer of early buyouts of LE40,000 for each worker.

Physically disabled persons

Dozens of physically disabled persons protested in front of the Cairo governorate to demand their rightful 5 percent share of apartments and kiosks provided by the state. The protesters said they had staged several protests before but with no result.

Ahmed Ali, a protester, said that for the last 20 years he has been requesting an apartment. He currently rents an apartment for LE350 a month, while his salary is LE300, which means he has to depend on charity to pay his children's school fees.

Ayman Sobhi, another protestor, said he submitted a request for an apartment 12 years ago, but hasn't received anything so far. Without a job, he has asked officials several times to give him a kiosk to enable him to make a living.

Nurses

Gharbiya--Around 400 nurses from the Tanta University Hospital protested on Tuesday in front of the Emergency Hospital demanding that their bonuses and allowances be paid. They also requested equal treatment with their Zagazig, Alexandria and Cairo counterparts.

Some nurses reported being assaulted by university guards, who allegedly caused three injuries. El-Geish Street was cordoned off to prevent the protesting nurses from exiting the area.

Meanwhile, President of Tanta University Dr.Abdel Fattah Sadaqa held a meeting with a number of nurses and other concerned officials. He promised to resolve the problem.

In Alexandria, 15 members of the Community Medicine Unit also protested in front of the health ministry's offices to express dissatisfaction with what they termed "random dismissals" from work after 13 years of service. They called on First Lady Suzanne Mubarak to intervene on their behalf.

The protesters were not allowed into the ministry until security leaders accompanied one of the protesters into the building to submit a complaint on behalf of all her protesting colleagues.

*Translated from the Arabic Edition.