General Federation of Labour Unions in the Kingdom of Egypt
Encyclopedia
General Federation of Labour Unions in the Kingdom of Egypt (GFLUKE) was a federation of trade union
s in Egypt
. GFLUKE was founded on March 1, 1938. In the year of its foundation, GFLUKE was the largest trade union organisation in Egypt. At the time of its foundation, GFLUKE consisted of 32 trade unions from the Cairo
area,. The core behind the founding of GFLUKE consisted of the Commission to Organise the Workers Movement and the group around Abbas Halim. Many of the founding members of GFLUKE had been active in the National Federations of Trade Unions in Egypt (1930–1935). In some ways, GFLUKE was a continuation of NFTUE.
Abbas Halim became the president of GFLUKE, Muhammad Yusuf al-Mudarrik vice-president and Muhammad Hasan Amara general secretary. GFLUKE had a policy of independence from political parties
. Towards the government, the organisation employed a pragmatic approach.
Soon after the foundation of GFLUKE, the federation was divided into two camps. The core issue of contention was the role of non-workers in the labour movement. Halim promoted the engineer Ahmad ad-Damardash as-Shanadi as new GFLUKE president, a candidacy that al-Mudarrik opposed. In the end as-Shanadi became GFLUKE president, and Halim became the zaim (leader) of GFLUKE.
In 1939, GFLUKE raised the demand for the adoption of a legislation on the right to form trade unions. A group of trade union officials, led by al-Mudarrik, went on an indefinite hunger strike
on June 12. The hunger strike, whilst failing to convince the government to adopt such a legislation, became highly publicised.
In the fall of 1939, a wave of layoffs affected the workers in Egypt, parallel to staggering cost of living and decline in real wages. GFLUKE launched protests against the layoffs, demanding government action. The country being under martial law
, the government responded by curtailing the abilities of GFLUKE to function. In the end, the federation headquarters were closed down by police. The organisation ceased to function effectively, and by 1941 it was dissolved.
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. GFLUKE was founded on March 1, 1938. In the year of its foundation, GFLUKE was the largest trade union organisation in Egypt. At the time of its foundation, GFLUKE consisted of 32 trade unions from the Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
area,. The core behind the founding of GFLUKE consisted of the Commission to Organise the Workers Movement and the group around Abbas Halim. Many of the founding members of GFLUKE had been active in the National Federations of Trade Unions in Egypt (1930–1935). In some ways, GFLUKE was a continuation of NFTUE.
Abbas Halim became the president of GFLUKE, Muhammad Yusuf al-Mudarrik vice-president and Muhammad Hasan Amara general secretary. GFLUKE had a policy of independence from political parties
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
. Towards the government, the organisation employed a pragmatic approach.
Soon after the foundation of GFLUKE, the federation was divided into two camps. The core issue of contention was the role of non-workers in the labour movement. Halim promoted the engineer Ahmad ad-Damardash as-Shanadi as new GFLUKE president, a candidacy that al-Mudarrik opposed. In the end as-Shanadi became GFLUKE president, and Halim became the zaim (leader) of GFLUKE.
In 1939, GFLUKE raised the demand for the adoption of a legislation on the right to form trade unions. A group of trade union officials, led by al-Mudarrik, went on an indefinite hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
on June 12. The hunger strike, whilst failing to convince the government to adopt such a legislation, became highly publicised.
In the fall of 1939, a wave of layoffs affected the workers in Egypt, parallel to staggering cost of living and decline in real wages. GFLUKE launched protests against the layoffs, demanding government action. The country being under martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
, the government responded by curtailing the abilities of GFLUKE to function. In the end, the federation headquarters were closed down by police. The organisation ceased to function effectively, and by 1941 it was dissolved.