Egypt: Protests outside Giza factory after worker commits suicide

Fellow Egyptian workers held protests outside their factory in Giza on Tuesday after a colleague Asem Afifi committed suicide. The worker was reported to have been unable to pay his debts because his salary had not been paid for months.

The factory, which is owned by Egypt's Universal Group, is located in 6th of October city in the Giza Governorate, about 30km from Cairo.

The Egyptian Network for Human Rights told Middle East Eye that security workers fired tear gas at protesters outside the factory who were demonstrating over Afifi's death.

Workers said Afifi had killed himself by throwing himself in front of a car on Tuesday.

More than 2,500 workers at the factory originally held a strike in September after their wages had not been paid for three months.

The strikers also complained about poor working conditions, including the ending of payments for workers injured during their work.

Living conditions for workers and the poor have fallen significantly in recent times, in part due to "structural adjustment" policies imposed by the International Monetary Fund.

The Centre for Trade Unions and Workers Services, an Egyptian non-governmental organisation, said it had monitored 8,041 violations of workers' rights over the past year.

It said delayed salary payment represented the highest number of violations of workers’ rights in 2021, amounting to 36 percent of the total.

In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 and the domestic abuse helpline is 0808 2000 247. In the US, the suicide prevention lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org