SU declares solidarity with AUC cleaning labor strikes

CAIRO 23 July 2017: The Student Union of the American University in Cairo (AUC) declared on Saturday solidarity with the university's cleaning labor who continued open-ended strike for the sixth consecutive day, in rejection of decision taken by the university administration to completely cancel the cleaning section.

Dozen workers arranged a strike in front of the university administration and demanded meeting officials in the university but were not able. The university decision further included that the administration will not renew the contracts of 170 cleaners.

"Believing in the active role of the Student Union in its role as an intermediary between the various representatives of the American University community, it affirms its full support for the hygiene workers and the rejection of the sudden and arbitrary management decision to abolish the current hygiene section,” according the SU statement.

The Union had held meetings with the administration and workers last week in order to reach a solution to the crisis, stressing that the workers rejected the decision of arbitrary administration and rejected the compensation provided by the university.

The Union called on all students to stand in solidarity by all peaceful means with workers in their protest movement on all social media platforms.

On July 17, the university administration announced that it will contract with "two reputable companies”, in the field of housekeeping to provide high-quality services with the best use of available resources for longer hours daily, while reducing the costs.

It also said that the administration will provide letters of recommendation and certificates of experience to the whole cleaning staff, and will pay the end of service for all employees working with unlimited contracts for unlimited duration, as well as employees who their contracts expires after 31 August 2017.

It further added that it will pay exceptional bonuses to employees with fixed-term contracts, and that the can continue their work until the new companies begins to provide services. The university did not determine when the two companies will start.

One day before the university response, the workers released a statement that was also published on social media platforms, complaining that the decision came as surprise and without prior consultation with them or whether through their trade union representatives. They further called for cancelations for the administration decision, renewing their contracts, and negotiations.