Workers at the Torah Cement company in Egypt are the latest to face repression for daring to demand their rights, after 32 workers were given 3 year jail sentences for taking part in a sit-in to demand permanent contracts. They will be appealing their sentences on 18 June and Egyptian trade union and human rights activists are appealing for international solidarity to highlight the case.

UPDATE 18 June: Appeal court reduces Torah Cement workers’ jail sentences from 3 years to 2 months

What you can do:

• Share the campaign banner and icon on social media
• Pass a resolution in your trade union branch resolving to write to the Egyptian authorities in protest at their attacks on workers’ rights
  

Solidarity with the Torah Cement Workers

International signatories include (full list of Egyptian and international signatories below)

Paul McAleer, Secretary of the Sydney Branch of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA); Vinne Molina, Branch President, Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) in Western Australia; Mick Buchan, CFMEU Western Australia Branch Secretary; Jimmy O’Connor, CFMEU Southern Australia Assistant Secretary; Lucy Honan, Branch Councillor for the Australian Education Union; Michael Thomson, National Tertiary Education Union State Secretary for New South Wales; Ian Hodson, General Secretary of the food workers’ union BFAWU; Michael Letwin, Co-Convenor of Labor for Palestine (USA); Mike Treen, National Director, Unite the Union, New Zealand; Savas Michael-Matsas, General Secretary, EEK, Greece; Motsomi Marobela, Coordinator, International Socialists Botswana; Petros Constantinou, Councillor, Athens Municipality, Greece, Professor Joel Beinin, Stanford University, USA; Professor Malcolm Povey, University of Leeds, UK;

Sign here

We, the signatories of this statement express our shock and stupefaction at the verdict  issued on June 4, sentencing 32 workers of the Torah Cement company to three years in jail. The workers were accused of gang violence and assault on civil servants but not a single piece of evidence was shown in court. The sentence was issued only 15 days after the workers’ arrest and their sentencing, and the judge’s bias was made clear when he declared he was convinced that demonstrations and strikes should be “forbidden and criminalised”! All of this means this was anything but a fair trial.

The government has shifted the burden of so-called economic reforms on workers and the poor who are alone in footing the bill for the surge in prices and poverty levels and the collapse in living standards. Not content with that, the government is now hell-bent on cracking down against workers who raise demands and has them jailed or sacked.

These and other crimes have put Egypt back on the International Labour Organisation’s blacklist for the fourth time, along with the countries that engage in the most blatant infringements of workers and trade union rights in violation of international conventions.

The signatories reaffirm the legitimacy of the Torah workers’ struggle. They have resisted attempts at sacking them and demonstrated on their company’s premises for 55 days. The workers have been employed there for years and therefore have a right to permanent contracts instead of employment through subcontracting companies (the use of which the government seeks to generalise in the project of the new labour law) which live off the sweat of the workers while preventing them from receiving any social security benefits or participating in profit-related bonus schemes.

The signatories reaffirm their total support to the imprisoned Torah cement workers and that they will use all available peaceful means to secure their liberation in the face of the tyrannical rulers whose policies impoverish millions of Egyptians while repressing their protests.

The signatories call on human rights groups, trade unions and workers’ organisations in Egypt and the whole world asking them to show solidarity with the workers whose first appeal hearing will be held on June 18.

The signatories reaffirm the fundamental right of the working class to strike and demonstrate in the face of waves of price increases, impoverishment and exploitation. This right was hard won by the workers of Egypt through their long struggle and is protected by international conventions signed by Egypt as well as by the 2014 constitution.

Egyptian signatories

Parties

• Bread and Freedom
• Popular Socialist Alliance
• Dignity Current
• Strong Egypt
• Dustour Party
• Muhebb Abboud, workers and peasants secretary in the Social-Democratic Party

Movements

• The Revolutionary Socialists
• 6th April Youth Movement
• 6th April Movement – Democratic Front
• January Socialist Movement
• Strong Egypt Students’ Movement
• Front for the Defence of Journalists and Liberties
• Legal Cooperative for Workers’ Consciousness

Unions

• General Union of Tourism Workers
• Egyptian Union of Oil Workers
• Rashad Kamal, President of the Federation of Independent Suez Unions
• Union of Workers in the Spinning, Weaving, Garment and Leather Industries
• The General Union of Workers in the Port Said Free Zone
• Amr Rashad, Qasr al-Aini al-Faransawi Hospital workers’ union
• The Permanent Congress of Alexandria Workers
• The Union of Private Sector Workers

Human Rights groups

• Al Nadeem Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence
• Arabic Network for Human Rights Information
• Egypt’s Conscience (Committee for the Defence of the Oppressed)
• The Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rights

International signatories

Mark	Abel	UK	University & College Union	Chair of Coordinating Committee
Nathan	Agius	Australia	CFMEU
ALI	AHMED	EGYPT
Umberto	Albarella	UK	UCU
Fernández Gómez	Alicia	Spain
Holly	Allen	Australia	NSWNMA	Branch President
Ibrahim	Alsahary	Egypt	journalsts	journalst	Freedom for the detainees Freedom for Egypt
Yvon	Arendsen	Netherlands
Aiman	Badr	Egypt
Paweł	Bartolik	Poland			Surely this is blatantly contrary to what mass movements in Egypt, both in 2011 and 2013, fought for.
Joel	Beinin	USA	Stanford University
David	Binns	UK	University and College Union	activist and branch committee member	Solidarity with the Torah Cement workers. I will raise the issue in my UCU branch.
Susan	Blackwell	Netherlands	FNV		Solidarity will win!
Andre	Bosch	Australia
Maxine	Brimblecombe	UK	UCU
Stephen	Brown	United Kingdom
vincent	bruand	france	fsu		All the fighting workers support your struggle.
Mick	Buchan	Australia	CFMEU	Branch Secretary	Stay strong
Andreas	Buerki	Wales
Charles	Butterworth	USA
danny	cain	Australia	MUA	WA Assistant Secretary
Andre	Capper	Australia	MUA	Stevedore	All the best brothers. This is a low action by your government.
Richard	Carabine	UK	UCU	health & safety rep
Matt	Cathie	Australia	CFMEU	Shop Steward	Strength In Unity Comrades
Abelardo	Clariana-Piga	UK	UCU
david	cobham	uk	ucu
william	collins	USA	National Writers Union
Emma	Collison	UK	n/a	n/a
Mahla	Conomos	Australia	MUA / USU	Campaigns	Solidarity forever!
Petros	Constantinou	Greece	Athens Municipality	councilor	Solidarity with the workers who demanded the right for dissent life
Dan	Crumlin	Australia	MUA
John	Cunningham	UK	UCU (retired)	None
Erima	Dall	Australia	Maritime Union of Australia
Coralie	Daniels	Australia	Teachers federation
Craig	Davidson	Australia	Cfmeu	Delegate	This is a disgrace and against all civil rights
Tomas Emmet	de Bhaldraithe	Australia	RAFFWU
Deborah	Dean	UK	UCU	N/A
Paul	Denison	Canada	OPSEU	Steward	Solidarity Comrades !
Caitlin	Doyle-Markwick	Australia	NTEU (UNSW)
Jasmine	Duff	Australia	United voice		Solidarity!
Manfred	Ecker	Austria	Neue Linkswende	editor	I am enraged by this unfair trial and this criminally unjust sentence the workers of the Torah Cement factory received. At the same time I am deeply moved from the news about their determined struggle.
Michael W	Evans	USA
Matthew	Evans	UK
John	Faulkner	UK	UCU, SOAS University of London
Dianne	Feeley	United States of America	UAW Local 22
Harry	Feldman	Australia
Keith	Flett	United Kingdom	Secretary Haringey TUC	Secretary
Andrew	Gardner	UK	UCU
Mattia	Giampaolo	Italy
Richard	Gilbert	UK	UCU
David	Glanz	Australia	National Tertiary Education Union	Branch committee member
Julian	Goodare	United Kingdom	Universities and Colleges Union (UCU)
Robert	Gowland	Australia	Communist Party of Australia	Chairman of Sydney District Committee	The right to organise and to strike is a fundamental right of all workers
Andrea	Grivas	Australia	CFMEU	EA
Alan	Haggard	United States
Merril	Hammer	UK	UCU (retired)		Everyone should have the right to strike. No workers should be impoverished!
Dan	Hanford	Australia	Maritime Union of Australia	Rank and file stevedore	Stay strong comrades, you are an inspiration. If I could do more than this message I would.
Ani	Hart	Australia	TWU	delegate	Your treatment has been totally unfair and unjust. You deserve freedom – NOW. All workers in your profession need to be able to speak out and ask for better conditions without the fear of treatment as you have received.
Elane	Heffernan	london	UCU	NEC	Solidarity. The right to organise is a basic human right. The Egyptian people have a right to secure living standards–they produce the wealth!
Piers	Hellawell	UK	UCU
Tommy-John	Herbert	Australia	Maritime Union of Australia	Member	Kia Kaha ( Stay Strong ) Comrades!
Jon	Hiesfelter	USA
Owen	Holland	UK	UCU
Lucy	Honan	Australia	Australian Education Union	Branch Councillor	Stay strong comrades, solidarity
Vivian	Honan	Australia	National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU)
Janet	Hudgins	Canada	CUPE (retired)
mehdi	husaini	UK	UCU	member
Faten	Hussein	Egypt
Philip	Inglesant	UK	UCU	Branch equalities officer
Julia	Jancso	Germany
Julia	Jancso	Germany
Aziza	Jansen	Netherlands
David	Johnson	USA	retired Workers Club	member	Solidarity Forever…
Dr Russell	Jones	UK	U C U
Jan	jSchultz	Australia		Membership Officer	All workers have the right to stand up, fight back and work for their rights
Dionysis	Kapsaskis	Uk	UCU
Stephen	Key	Australia	CFMEU		Good luck
Stephen	Key	Australia	CFMEU		Good luck
Neil	Kirkland	New Zealand	Rail & Maritime Transport Union	Member
Rick	Kuhn	Australia	NTEU	Life member
Melanie	Lazarow	Australia	National Tertiary Education Union	Life member	The courage of the Egyptian workers, who have to still continue vicious assaults, is noted, and I wish these Workers at the Torah Cement company justice.
Fiona	Leach	United Kingdom	Association of University Teachers
Maire	Leadbeater	New Zealand
Steve	Leigh	USA	SEIU, retired		The whole world is watching! You are fighting for workers everywhere! Keep up the fight !!
Michael	Letwin	US	Labor for Palestine	Co-Convener
Thomas	Linane	Australia	MUA	Rank and File	Solidarity !!
Fred	Lindop	UK	Llindop
John	Lipetz	UK	Unite	None
Anna	Livingstone	UK	British Medical Association and UNITE		Solidarity. Security workers are humans and deserve a fair deal. This imprisonment of people campaigning for permanent contracts with fair pay and conditions is a transgression of the human rights of the poor. Release them and provide the contracts.
Jordi	Llabi	spain
Christopher	Lovelee	Australia	MUA	Rank and file	Stay strong!
Ricky	Lowes	UK
Ricky	Lowes	UK
Allister	Mactaggart	UK	UCU	Branch chair
Emma	Major	U.K.	UCU
Motsomi	Marobela	Botswana	International Socialits Botswana	Coordinator	Free speech is Egypt now! worker’s rights are human rights
Lachlan	Marshall	Australia	Australian Education Union
Jessica	Martin	USA
Paul	McAleer	Australia	Maritime Union of Australia	Sydney Branch Secretary	The MUA Sydney Branch stands in solidarity with you and joins in your struggle for justice
Lesley	McBurney	England	N.U.T.	Retired rep, committee memmber H. and Safety	We stand in solidarity with Egyptian workers. We won’t forget these injustices.
Chris	McCabe	UK	Unite		Solidarity
Tim	McCaskell	Canada	Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation	NA
Joe	McDonald	Australia	Maritime Union of Australia	Activist
Ryan	Mcgibbon Thompson	Australia	Maritime union of Australia	Delegate
JUDY	MCVEY	AUSTRALIA	CPSU	SECTION COUNCILLOR	I wish you solidarity and victory. Stay strong!
Savas	Michael-Matsas	Greece	EEK	General Secretary
Vinnie	Molina	Australia	CFMEU WA	Branch President	Respect civil and democratic rights. Free the jailed workers.
John	Morris	Australia	NSW Teachers union	Canterbury-Bankstown Branch Secretary
Volkhard	Mosler	Germany	Verdi/Die Linke
Briony	Neilson	Australia	NTEU
Tristan	Nelson	Australia	National Union of Students
Jimmy	Oconnor	Australia	CFMEU	Assistant secretary	Stay strong
Eric	Olson	United Kingdom	UCU
Steve	Ongerth	US	IWW	member
mike	orr	Scotland	University College Union
Ron	Parsons	USA	Carpenters	Rank and File	Standing up for all the workers in the world.
Gerry	Pettifer	Australia	CFMEU	Ohs rep	Power in numbers, keep fighting comrades
Jesse	Phillippe
Neil	Pollick	England	None	None	The regime needs to be overthrown, it is pointless to “ask” them to behave better, it is a regime of injustice, exploitation and lies, a government of murderers and thieves who need to be in prison.
Tom	Potter	USA	AFSCME Local 3650 (personal identification)	rank and file member	Respect, Admiration, Solidarity, Victory!
Professor Malcolm	Povey	Uk	UCU
Colin	Price	UK	UCU	Rank and file member
John	Quinn	UK	UCU	member
Andrew	Ramsay	Australia	CFMEU	Work Health and Safety Coordinator
Steve	Rayner	Australia	CFMEU
Nick	Riemer	Australia	National Tertiary Education Union	Committe member, University of Sydney branch	Solidarity from Australia. Striking is a basic human right and must not be criminalized.
Darryl	Robb	New Zealand	Munz	Rank and file	Never give up your fight . The trade union world is watching.
Mick	Robinson	Australia	Cfmeu Qld/ Nt	Official
samuel	robson	spain	CGT
Liz	Ross	Australia	Socialist Alternative		Solidarity! Dare to struggle, Dare to win!
Hermann	Rupp	Deutschland	ver.di
Tippu	S	UK	UCU
Steve	Salter	Australia	Maritime Union of Australia	Member	United we stand
Jordan	Sanger	Australia	Cfmeu / etu	Member	I hope you boys get out !
Ian	Schultz	Australia	USU	Member	Do not give up.
Jan	Schultz	Australia		Membership Officer	All workers have the right to stand up, fight back and work for their rights
Timothy	Schultz	Australia	Community and Public Sector Union	member
Patrick	Scott	England	National Union of Journalists
Amanda	Sebestyen	UK	NUJ/ Camden Momentum/ Holborn & St Pancras Labour Party	GC delegate, Camden Town with Primrose Hill
Eddie	Seymour	Australia	Maritime Union of Australia	Rank and File retired	Workers of the world are all one, what effects a worker in another country effects us all.
Francisco	Simon	Germany	The Left (Die Linke)		Solidarity with the workers’ strikes in Egypt! Freedom for all political prisoners!
Dr Melissa	Slee	Australia	National Tertiary Education Union	Branch President, RMIT University
Luke	Smith	Australua	ETU	Electrician	Nil
Ron	Smith	USA	Bucknell University	Assistant Professor
Allan	Snook	Australia	ETU		This should not happen
Frank	STILWELL	Australia	NTEU	Member
Susan	Stout	Canada	UNIFOR	retired	we all need the right to organise!
Marian	Swerdlow	USA	UFT – AFT, AFL – CIO
Peter	t Hoen	Netherlands
Andrea	Teti	UK
Amy	Thomas	Australia	National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU)	Casual Representative, Branch Committee, University of Technology Sydney, NTEU
Michael	Thomson	Australia	National Tertiary Education Union	NSW State Secretary
Norman	Traub	UK	Labour Party	Nil
Mike	Treen	New Zealand	Unite Union	National Director	All workers must have the freedom to struggle – humanity’s future depends on it!
Audrey	van Ryn	New Zealand	N/A
Dianne	Varga	Canada	HSA
Stephen	Wagg	UK	University and College Union
Troy	Wasson	Australia	NTEU	Member	Solidarity Comrades
Maureen	Watson	scotland
B	Weightman	UK
John	Wood	United Kingdom
Pam	Wortley	United Kingdom	Unite