Approximately 20 suspended workers announced an open-ended strike inside the Egyptian Trade Union Federation’s (ETUF) headquarters during a statement made on Monday.

According to the Legal Cooperation to Support Labor Awareness’ Facebook page, the employees are protesting against the state’s policy on workers’ rights.  The protestors have been suspended from the Egypt Iran Company for Textiles, Misr Shebin El-Kom Spinning and Weaving, and Nile Cotton Ginning Company. Their numbers are expected to increase as there are thousands of  workers who have been suspended from various companies across Egypt.

The workers were initially suspended over protests against privatization attempts of their companies and “defending their colleagues’ rights,” the Facebook page stated.

Yasser Saad, a member of the Legal Cooperation to Support Labor Awareness, told Daily News Egypt that the suspended workers do not have any alternative source of income and have yet to receive back salaries or dues. As a result,  they are  demanding compensation from the ETUF.

Saad added that the conditions people have been working under, with regards to  government-affiliated companies, have deteriorated due to the shift toward privatization. The workers explained in their statement that their companies are ”abusing all labour rights’ advocates who are working against corruption and calling  for worker rights”.

They further condemned the union’s