Court to decide destiny of 190 extremist workers at Egyptian railways

CAIRO – 28 June 2021: Minister of Transport Kamel al-Wazir disclosed Sunday that the service of 260 workers – who are affiliated with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood - at the Egyptian Railway Authority (ERA) has been ended while court rulings are awaited about 190 others, who got suspended.

The elements within the first batch either retired in time or were offered early retirement packages. The minister explained in a TV interview that such extremist elements used to work in sensitive positions such as train drivers or maintenance workers.

Wazir pointed out that the court rulings will either fire them or give them paid leave or transfer them to less sensitive positions. According to the minister's statements on Sunday, the extremist affiliations of railway workers are determined by the National Security Agency. It is noteworthy to mention that the ministry resorted to court because this is the only way a public employee can be terminated in Egypt.  

In a speech the minister delivered before the House of Representatives in April, he urged the concerned agencies to fire and/or transfer to non-sensitive governmental bodies 162 elements who work in the railway sector and whose allegiance to extremist and anarchist movements has been proven.  

Speaking of enhancing human elements in the railway sector, the minister stated in his speech that he had submitted a request to the president to hire 750 engineers to work in maintenance, control systems, and signaling as well as train drivers.

In Sunday's interview, the minister clarified that the idea of recruiting engineers to work as train drivers has been dismissed. Yet, they will have to be the graduates of 4-year technology colleges. He added that ERA contemplates increasing the study years at the Institute of Ouerdane – delivering education in railway specializations to technicians - from two to four.