By Menna Zaki

The workers sit-in at the Egyptian Chemical Industries Company (KIMA) factory in Aswan has been “dispersed”, according to Minister of Industry Foreign Trade and Investment Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour.

The minister met with the workers to discuss their demands, which were focused on improving their functional wages, after which operations recommenced.

Abdel Nour said the workers’ demands also included the restructure of the basic wage hierarchy, an increase in incentives of no less than 30%, and increasing food stipends from EGP 300 to EGP 500. They also requested amendments to the company’s financial, administrative system and equality of the rest of the chemical companies.

The ministry’s media representative could not be reached for comment about when the ministry would aim to fulfill these demands.

Abdel Nour announced that he would hold a meeting with government officials from the Central Auditing Organisation (CAO) and the Ministry of Manpower to discuss the means of implementing these demands. He insisted that the ministry is “committed” to meeting the worker’s demands, pointing out that Kima Company’s workers have ended their strike so as to not to affect the wheel of production.

The Egyptian Chemical Industries Company (KIMA) is specialised in the production of fertilizers and essential chemicals.