General Federation of Trade Unions

In Egypt, there are 13 industrial unions whose top leaders are appointed by the state; local-level officers are elected with the support of state security agents. Local law also does not permit labor competition — a union can’t organize workers from another sector, and there has never been a legal strike in Egyptian history, labor experts say. “Control over the unions has always been thought of as a national security issue,” said Ragui Assaad, an Egyptian labor expert. “It’s not about wages and collective bargaining, it’s about making sure the state has control over an active, organized, movement that can make trouble.”

http://arabist.net/arabawy/2007/02/22/sfc-explosion-of-strikes-rocks-egyptian-firms/

http://arabist.net/arabawy/2007/01/28/monday-mahalla-textile-workers-demand-their-pro-govt-union-dissolved/ mkt mos där.

http://arabist.net/arabawy/2007/01/30/mahalla-textile-workers-slam-their-general-union-officials/