Reality of the Egyptian Proletariat

north africa | workplace struggles | feature Friday March 04, 2005 22:34 by Sameh Saeed Abbood

An Egyptian sheads light on the present status of the Egyptian proletariat as an example of the Arab proletariat as a whole. The Arab countries do not allow independent social, political unions and organizations.

An Egyptian sheads light on the present status of the Egyptian proletariat as an example of the Arab proletariat as a whole. There is a great similarity between labors status in Egypt and the Arab world. The Arab countries do not allow independent social, political unions and organizations. Ironically, before its deterioration, Egyptian labor was considered the largest, greatest, and even oldest in terms of organization.

In the modern capitalist society, there are two concepts of the labor class. The former expands to include all that are deprived of any control over financial resources. Such concept also includes those who own nothing but their mental and physical fore, which they are obliged to sell for, wages in return. Moreover it encompasses those who have no authority concerning the process of decisions_ making &endash;in this sense, such concept covers the vast majority of the various capitalist societies. The later concept, on the other hand, is restricted only to what is refrained to as " craftsmen".

Actually, the reason behind such differentiation lies in the changes accrued among the working class by the beginning of a new scientific technological revolution during the 20th century. Due to such revolution, the working class "proletariat" transformed from being a homogeneous block of craftsmen, close to each other in term of wages and standard of living, into inhomogeneous block including various types of labors in term of wages, standard of living, culture, awareness, values, and even work type itself, now, new layers of the working class are to be added. For instance, there are the wageworkers that have no authority to take decisions. Also, there are these who produce vital part of the surplus value while being oppressed under the capitalist and bureaucracy exploitation, and alienation equally with the handcraft proletariat. The newly introduced layer, however, are different in terms of their high standard of living, their bourgeoisie culture & awareness, their official education, and bourgeoisie values which all alienated them from traditional layers of working class. Undoubtedly, the bourgeoisie is misusing such disparity and disintegration among the proletariat to strength it full power and authority. Hence, it seems that there's no hope for the working class except for union and overcoming such disparity.

Being an Egyptian, I will try to sheaf lights on the present status of the Egyptian proletariat. This is to be cited as an example for the Arab proletariat as a whole, especially. That there is a great similarity between labors status in Egypt, in the Arab world, and the world as a whole Except Ghordan, Tunisia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco's, The Arab countries do not allow having independent social, political unions and organizations. Ironically, before such deterioration, Egyptian, a labors were considered Largest, greatest, and even oldest in terms of organization.

This article calibrates of the international workers Day, especially that, while we are watching workers demonstrations launched celebrating this day, here in Egypt, workers are satisfied with having a day off and enjoying listening to the Mr. president annual speech.

Undoubtedly, being aware of the origin and progress of Egyptian working class will provide a clue the might help in the liberation of such class.

It is highly noticeable that there is a great similarity between Egyptian workers and Arab one, especially those who have experienced fascist experiences close to the Egyptian one .For example; this is the case in Syria, Iraq, Libya, and Algeria. But we have to admit that workers in Egypt and   Algeria have been to some extent, liberated from fascist cuffs.

The beginning of the 19th century, with the emerged of the working class in Egypt .The oldest documented strike was in the beginning of the 80 Th of the same century. By the end of 19th , the first  trade union was established after another labor strike in 1899. Later on , strikes succeeded ,different  trade unions emerged with different attempts from  the part of the old National party and socialist cycles to domesticate them. By the end of the world war I followed by the inflamed national struggle for independence, the first Egyptian trade unions was founded such union was controlling   Leninists communists, especially, after a wide labors movements, the movement was strong enough to occupy factories sometimes, However, in 1924 The union was dissolved and crushed by the liberal national "ELWAFD" the deputation government.

Throughout the 30th century, and after crushing of labor unions, the different capitalist parties including the liberal, conservative and fascist, attempted to domesticate the movement mainly for their interests and namely, through what's known as "class cooperation " rather than "class struggle" by the 40th century, the labor movement became so strong  that it formed  a labor political declared organization  under the name of "the labors committee for national liberty" the second upraise  of the labors movement ended with the formation of  an independent democratic labor union dominated mainly by the different Stalinist Marxist  organizations. After fascist coup d'etat 23 of July 1952 and long period of bloody oppression for the labor movement and its organizations, the above unions have lost their   independence and democratic feature as well. Meanwhile, this second upraise, thought led and developed by the competed Marxist organizations, was deformed either by mixing the nationalist and class struggle or even by raising the former over the later. Perhaps, such mixing paved the way for the receipt of Naserian fascism and its counterparts in the Arab area till now.

In 1957, the labor movements was nationalized through the formation of a one bureaucratic labor union organized by a law securing the total damnation of the government and its security agency over it. Accordingly &endash; the union _ chief was to be appointed automatically a work minister, union membership became obligatory for all who work in the establishment with union committees. According to the law and the way the unions were not based on the idea of representing labors in their class struggle against the administration and the employers.

Now, they became a "service supplying institutions", and therefore, should cooperate with the administration and employers to accomplish such services for the labors.

After a so years of the taming by the stick and the bribe, and by the demagogic brainwashing propaganda by the Naserim   fascism followed by the almost liberal variations, the labor movement has lost its social political and union competence away from the bureaucratic state agency .now, the law prevent establishing Independent organizations, Meanwhile, politicians who are interested in working class issues refuse to snatch the human and legal rights. They refuse establishing alternative unions claiming that workers themselves will prefer the official ones. Others claim that this might threat labors unity, therefore, they often inset on participating in the comic official unions election play .On the other hand, the spontaneous labor movement stands completely away from such organizations, and its comic ironic way of formation. Workers themselves do not trust such organizations, and during the last 40 years, all uproars were away or even against official unions.

Unfortunately, no one has comprehended the real danger of the actual disassembly of labors unity .No one has confronted labors' transformation into a disorganized and unaware group in capable even of understanding their social reality as a unique class having different interests against capitalists and state. Most of those workers miss class sense and awareness. They aspire to accent into the capital class, and actually, they believe in its values and ideologies. What is more surprisingly is that the anti labor ideology and the retarded ossified values are spreading widely among them. This is made clear &endash;through the retarded concepts of the democratic process relating to voting and election. Moreover there's the whole retarded vision about unions as service supplying institutions devoted to personal needs and individual interests instead of being organizations struggling for labor' common interests a whole class.

Concerning labor class, awareness it's restricted to mere comprehension laws regulating work relations as assigned by government. Aspiring for any benefits, however, those labors stand only to petitions and cases. In this sense, labors become incapable of using pressure policy to improve their life and work conditions, for they are satisfied with such great grants granted upon them by bureaucratic and capitalism. Under the new world economic circumstances, workers are waiting helplessly for mercy from masters of cruelty .Now they are even unable to get at least keep the social, political and economic benefits which the liberal "ELWAFED" the deputation party and  "Naserian" fascism government have granted during the GLORIOUS ? century that followed the world war 2. By the end of this period, and the economic changes accompanied the beginning of the globalization capitalism, labor did not fight against losing these benefits .Now they are facing difficult circumstances bare of an organized labors unity weapon, class awareness and labor strife methods as well. Along with the crisis of unemployment and marginalization, workers are losing competence of pressure over employees for the improvement of their life and work conditions. Furthermore, they became compelled to accept whatever conditions they employees impose. Perhaps, this paves the way for the refreshment of retarded ossified fascism.

There are the actual bases according to which labors prefer individual solutions to collective ones .As a result, most of them attempted to improve their standard of living by extra work or by being committed to more than one job at the same time to the extent that they might work 12 hours per-day or as to compensate litheness of their salaries. Others prefer the choice of immigration wither to Europe or to the Arabic Gulf, whereas some of them have chosen investment in small business brokerage or small stuffs selling.  A number of them, however, indulged in illegal economic activities. Perhaps, here lies the answer for the question "haw can millions of workers provide for their families"? Their wages and the prices, if taken seriously into consideration, will know a real famine.

All these conditions weakened the labor unity and disrupted the proletariat essence. A dramatic disaster, however, has taken place a as result a series of denials; labor are deprived of from striving independently in their unions, they are deprived even from regularity as political independent class. Moreover, they were denied their class political rights.

The state is shackling labor union with law &endash;cuffs, which in turn have transformed those unions into real depended satellites for the capitalist state. Meanwhile, labor unions have totally lost their original democratic feature.  Holding the motto of respecting laws, unions are formed only under bureaucratic supremacy from the part of the state and its security agencies. Owing to such corruption, labors are practically alienated from these unions except from the individual services and advantages they might obtain from them. Though the constitution grantees the right of forming organizations, and congregating, no one have seriously practiced such human and legal right, Or even strive for real independent labor unions.  

Now, I have exhibited a portrait for the real status of Egyptian worker, however, since, I am not an advocate of determinism in the history, no am I a naïve optimistic, I perceive a one remaining hope for saving such class from more deterioration .I believe that there should be an organized democratic movement completely independent from the bureaucratic state, capitalism and authoritarian politicians. Such movement should affiliate in the real class struggle vice all the previously mentioned entities with the objective of achieving the labor class benefits. However, we still have a remaining question …how?

Actually, the plight we are facing now is spacious enough to contain different struggling innovation independent from state, bureaucracy, capitalism and authoritarian politicians as a vital step towards workers liberation .Now, I perceive two parallel points as an out let from such plight.

1 _ a political strife that are aiming at setting unions for free it from state and capitalism. This is to accomplish through toppling all laws and restrictions chaining the right of forming unions. Besides, overthrowing the state right in enactment laws governing and organizing unions, transferring such right to unions members themselves.

In this case's however, labors are totally responsible for toppling laws, which contain anti-human and unconstitutional articles. This might be achieved either by the legal contention against these laws, or through the legislative institutions represented by people assembly, or even through the labors effective pressure over decisions &endash;makers. Perhaps, labors have no way but being politically organized to accomplish such goal as a preparation for more success and achievements.

Resorting to the civil law still secure a minimum supervision over unions either through general assemblies that might supervise its elected board or then breaching transparency rules. Undoubtedly, permitting the formation of unions an a democratic base, will activate unions role and refresh labors, potential energy that was curbed since the 1952 coup d'etat.

2 _ a mass initiative from the part of labors to form "alternative unions" away from the bureaucratic state .For those who are individually able to manage their difficult life circumstances through nonofficial economic practices and primitive social solidarity forms, are equally able to practice, a more useful and elevated   solidarity through the preferred to  "alternative unions".

This initiative is neither as difficult a perceived by the worshipers of the state institutions and legal strife, nor as expedient a perceived by those who worship theories instead of real practices.

The whole matter does not need, at first, but some initiative, need organizing a number of   independent unions; producing models of workers applicable for spread and imitation. Workers might keep &endash;their membership in their official unions as long as they are delivering services from its. However this should not prevent them from directing their class struggle against capitalism .The whole matter, then, is left to innovation, flexibility and daily initiative. 

In Poland for instance, worker managed to form a union of solidarity from and against the mighty Stalinist state. Such strife was the seed from for the collapse of Stalinism. Even fascism in Spain, Italy, Japan and Germany was unable to prevent workers from their economic strife through their secret unions. Frankly, Egyptians are enjoying a liberty nerve available during fascism and Stalinism. The Egyptian state, to some extent, the publicity of some activities, perhaps, under a full grip of control. This is like for instance, The Egyptian public committee for solidarity with the Palestinian people an upsurge, The Egyptian groups for resistance the capitalism globalization and the coordination committee for defending workers rights.   

The problem, as I believe, does not lie in the state and its laws or means of oppression; the problem lies in the traditional ossified and conservative minds that worship legality, state bureaucratic and formalities.

I also believe that, the current economic circumstances, and present globalization, might result in a new upraising for workers movements as well as new nationalist or religious fascism. Well, will the circumstances push us towards a more proper, way of thinking and behaving???

Only future will answer such query question.