Egypt’s tourist guides are planning for an open strike after stoppages 15-17 November, charging that the Ministry of Tourism has ignored their long-time demands, the state-run Arabic-language Al-Ahram news reported Saturday.
The head of Egypt’s Syndicate of Tour Guides, Moataz El-Sayed, has called on all governmental authorities to respond to the tour guides’ demands or they will escalate their strike.
He added at Saturday’s press conference that one of their demands is to create a fund for unemployment benefits given the rise of joblessness among guides. El-Sayed confirmed that tour guide representatives met with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi but received nothing.
Among the tour guides’ demands is health insurance against work accidents and ensuring the independence of their syndicate.
The number of tourists visiting Egypt in the first half of 2012 grew by 23 per cent to reach 5.08 million, according to data from the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics, released in August.
