Kamal al Fayoumi, Mahalla Textiles Worker and Democratic Labor Party Activist: All of us, as workers, said that the revolution began on February 11 when Mubarak left. When the head of the old regime stepped down, it was just the start of the revolution. The revolution began only with the solidarity of all of Egypt’s workers with Shabeen el Kom. The revolution began only when all the workers stood up and demanded a minimum wage of 1,200 LE. . . . And this is only the least of the workers’ demands.
Kamal Khalil, Democratic Labor Party Spokesman: The workers must create independent trade unions, so that when a situation like this arises, workers from Mahalla and Tanta join you and other workers from other companies stand with you together. The workers must create a political party to represent them. No party will represent the workers other than the workers’ party itself.
This video was released by Ahram Online on 27 April 2011. Cf. Democratic Labor Party; and “Inspired by Revolution, Egyptian Workers Occupy Factory” (The Real News Network, 30 April 2011).
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