With special thanks to:
Jihan Hafiz
Reed Lindsay
Jasmina Metwaly
Mika Minio-Paluello
Philip Rizk
Story Transcript
DANYA NADAR: WORSENING ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS FOR THE POOR AND MIDDLE CLASS WERE MAJOR FACTORS BEHIND LAST YEAR’S TAHRIR UPRISING. THESE WORKERS SAY LIFE HAS ONLY GOTTEN HARDER UNDER THE MILITARY JUNTA THAT REPLACED FORMER PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK.
From transport workers:
o “Cooking gas is LE 25 ($5), a kilo of vegetables is LE 7 ($1.5), a kilo of meat is LE 70 ($10.50), a kilo of fish is LE 20 ($4)â€
NATSOT: Wide shot x2
Bread, freedom, social justice
NATSOT-
“There is no social justice at all. There is no indication that there ever will be any.â€
– Light Rail Supervisor:
o “As long as there are unmet demands among workers and poor Egyptians, it means that the revolutionary demands have not yet been met. The revolution was sparked for “freedom, social justice, and human dignityâ€. The administration is still trying to seek its best interestsâ€
VO— Since early 2012, international financial institutions have been negotiating loans for what they say will help rebuild Egyptâ€
SOT—FATMA RAMADAN, Vice President, Egyptian Independent Workersâ€
“Workers have expressed their opinion with regards to privatization by staging walk-outs, strikes, and sit-ins in front of the parliament over the last few years. We used to find five or six companies simultaneously protesting in front of parliament. On Labor Day, 2010 we saw another sit-in in front of parliament, workers from across industries: telecommunicationsâ€
NATSOT: Shot of women, chanting
Oh Egyptians, investors have ruined our homes
SOT—AMR ISMAIL ADLY, Director of Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights Social Justice and Economics Unit
“What is stunning with the EBRDâ€
NATSOT: This isnâ€
DANYA NADAR— EBRDâ€
SOT- AMR ISMAIL ADLY, Director of Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights Social Justice and Economics Unit
So the Egyptian economy ever since 2006 through 2010 was growing at quite an impressive rate—like averaging 6.5 or 7 percent annually, which is historically quite unprecedented. Yet, the poverty, unemployment, and low-productivity jobs that were created in the informal market, which are like very low waged, paying very low wages, has been the rule for the vast majority of the people. And this has been the reason behind the social and economic protests that took place and went out into the public sphere ever since 2005, and culminated into the January revolt.
SOT— FATMA RAMADAN, Vice President, Egyptian Independent Workersâ€
“In 2002-2003 we saw about half a million workers who were forced into retirement because of privatization. The people who bought the companies didnâ€
SOT- AMR ISMAIL ADLY, Director of Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights Social Justice and Economics Unit
…One of the structural problems with the economy that most of the investment goes into extremely capital and extremely energy intensive sectors in a way that does not really create jobs, and does not contribute to the general welfare of those who participate in the labour market.
DANYA NADAR–This World Bank graph shows that unemployment and malnutrition have been on the rise since 2004. During that same period, inflation has skyrocketed to almost 30 percent. Up until today the minimum wage remains unchanged since the 1980s.
[Broll: world bank graph, images of poverty [old cairo], images of paystubs]
NATSOT
– How is a worker supposed to live with a LE 110 ($20) salary? A kilo of sugar is LE8 ($1.2). What about school fees, electricity is getting more expensive. What about gas, water, and transportation costs? Weâ€
DANYA NADAR— Numerous cases of corrupt privatization deals have been fought and won during the Mubarak years, where public assets were underpriced and transferred into the hands of a few with close ties to the regime.
SOT: Khaled Abdel Gawad, Factory worker, Legrand Company
Up until this very moment, we still have no rights in this company. Neither a proper salary nor a pension, or any of these things. This is a result of the former corrupt regimeâ€
SOT— FATMA RAMADAN, Vice President, Egyptian Independent Workersâ€
Itâ€
DANYA NADAR— Whether the EBRD lends to the Egyptian government or to the private sector, it will be almost impossible to avoid businessmen or officials with strong ties to the military junta’ which has been ruling Egypt’s politics and economy for 60 years
SOT—Light Rail supervisor
“During the January 25th Revolution, many martyrs and injured were sacrificed in the hopes for change. Although we ousted the head of the establishment, remnants of his regime continue to exist. You can find his cronies in companies, in banks, in politics, national media, in hordes.â€
NATSOT—Taxation workers:
“Down with the Military Regime! Down down with corruption!â€
SOT: Khaled Abdel Gawad, Factory worker Legrand Company x2
The problem is with the laws. These laws were passed, but they are unjust to the workers. So our problem is that these laws that were passed under the old guard has negatively impacted the workers and has made the average Egyptianâ€
NATSOT: And he who kills Egyptians, cannot rule Egypt. He cannot rule Egypt
DANYA NADAR—The EBRD is also proposing public-private-partnerships in the transport and power sectors, as well as municipal infrastructure. These projects have existed in Egypt since 2007, and critics say the EBRD ignores the rampant corruption and crony capitalism associated with these projects to date.
SOT- AMR ISMAIL ADLY, Director of Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights Social Justice and Economics Unit
“… The inherent problems with PPPs is mainly that they are very prone to corruption. We donâ€
WORKER, Legrand Factory
Weâ€
SOT- AMR ISMAIL ADLY, Director of Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights Social Justice and Economics Unit
It has to do with the very terms. Sometimes, or usually, the terms themselves are quite imbalanced in favor of private investors. Even if it happens to be legally sound, then it becomes that the terms themselves are so imbalanced, in a manner that makes the government pay for such an enterprise, much bigger amounts of money than taking it on its own.â€
NATSOT: The striking is a legitimate struggle, against the remnants of an ousted regime
Revolution, revolution until victory. Tora prison is ruling Egypt
SOT- FATMA RAMADAN, Vice President, Egyptian Independent Workersâ€
Workers were pivotal in the last 3 or 4 days that led to Mubarakâ€
SOT- AMR ISMAIL ADLY, Director of Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights Social Justice and Economics Unit
The technical assessment given by the EBRD, this approach of ignoring whatever happened, they are quite oblivious to the revolution and to the past privatization. And thatâ€
NATSOT: Oh Field Marshal, the face of oppression, Tell me how much you make a month!
SOT- AMR ISMAIL ADLY, Director of Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights Social Justice and Economics Unit:
And I donâ€
NATSOT: Theyâ€
DANYA NADAR—WHETHER EBRD shareholders WILL ratify TO EXPAND ITS LENDING TO EGYPT AND NORTH AFRICA WILL BE DETERMINED IN the COMING MONTHS.
AS THE ECONOMY CONTINUES TO FALTER WITH wages DROPPING AND gas shortages SPARKING WIDESPREAD OUTRAGE, workers across the nation vow that strikes and street protests AGAINST THE SAME FAILED ECONOMIC POLICIES will only intensify. This is Danya Nadar, for the Real News, in Cairo, Egypt.
NATSOTs: Man with Megaphone:
Striking is a legitimate struggle, against the remnants of an ousted regime .
[Fade to black…]
Striking is our weapon, against a military regime thatâ€