Labour protests in Egypt: causes and meanings

Abstract

Egypt has experienced a wave of unprecedented labour protests since December 2006. Refuting moral economy and rational choice arguments as a basis for understanding labour unrest in Egypt, this paper argues that this wave of protests is an outcome of the rupture of the hegemonic ruling pact governing Egypt since 1952. As such, this movement, which includes both industrial workers as well as white-collar state employees, should be interpreted beyond its immediate material demands. Rather, the paper argues, the changing constituency, tactics, and internal organisation of the movement all point to the potential role that it can play in further eroding the corporatist–authoritarian structure governing state-society relations in Egypt. The paper concludes that this movement might be carrying the potential for wider democratisation.

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