IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/ilrrev/v77y2024i1p62-87.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Public Workers’ Mobilizations in Egypt: Perceptions of Sector Potential in Textile and Transport

Author

Listed:
  • Nada Matta

Abstract

This article contributes to explaining the rise of labor unrest in Egypt in the early 2000s, led initially by public-sector workers. Using two case studies in textile and transport, the author shows that perceptions of sector potential affected workers’ ability to protest and compensated for the decline in their sectors’ roles in the economy. The perceptions of underutilization due to corruption and to sector viability based on squandered profits help explain workers’ militancy and capacities to mount an extended protest campaign. These perceptions build on discourses that critique the state’s adoption of neoliberal policies associated with privatization. Workers could develop these perceptions because their sectors still played a role in the economy despite their decline. The analysis contributes to the Power Resource Approach by showing how perceptions of sector potential enhance capacities among Global South workers in declining sectors. To explain labor unrest, the author engages labor scholarship on Egypt that focuses on grievances rather than on workers’ economic position and sources of power.

Suggested Citation

  • Nada Matta, 2024. "Public Workers’ Mobilizations in Egypt: Perceptions of Sector Potential in Textile and Transport," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 77(1), pages 62-87, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ilrrev:v:77:y:2024:i:1:p:62-87
    DOI: 10.1177/00197939231213350
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00197939231213350
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/00197939231213350?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Klaus Doerre & Hajo Holst & Oliver Nachtwey, 2009. "Organizing – A Strategic Option for Trade Union Renewal?," International Journal of Action Research, Rainer Hampp Verlag, vol. 5(1), pages 33-67.
    2. Rabab El-Mahdi, 2011. "Labour protests in Egypt: causes and meanings," Review of African Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(129), pages 387-402, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mia Mahmudur RAHIM & Sk Samidul ISLAM, 2020. "Freedom of association in the Bangladeshi garment industry: A policy schizophrenia in labour regulation," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 159(3), pages 423-446, September.
    2. Tzehainesh TEKLÈ, 2021. "Delving into the past – Looking to the future," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 160(4), pages 12-31, December.
    3. Marta Kahancová & Monika Martišková & Carl Nordlund, 2019. "Enhancing the Effectiveness of Social Dialogue Articulation in Europe: Conceptual and Analytical Framework in a Multi-Level Governance Perspective," Discussion Papers 55, Central European Labour Studies Institute (CELSI).
    4. Simms, Melanie & Eversberg, Dennis & Dupuy, Camille & Hipp, Lena, 2018. "Organizing Young Workers Under Precarious Conditions: What Hinders or Facilitates Union Success," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 45(4), pages 420-450.
    5. Ashwin, Sarah & Lohmeyer, Nora & Egels-Zandén, Niklas & Alexander, Rachel, 2024. "Going global: comparing union resourcefulness in securing inclusion in supply chain labor governance initiatives," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 123894, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. Marco Marrone & Paolo Borghi, 2023. "Ai margini del sindacato, il sindacato nei margini: democratizzazione, demercificazione e disinquinamento tra alleanze possibili e nuove pratiche," ECONOMIA E SOCIET? REGIONALE, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2023(3), pages 35-52.
    7. Barbara Samaluk & Kairit Kall, 2023. "Trade union project-based revitalization strategies in Central and Eastern Europe: The Case of Slovenia and Estonia," European Journal of Industrial Relations, , vol. 29(1), pages 7-24, March.
    8. Kota Kitagawa & Arata Uemura, 2015. "General statutory minimum wage debate in Germany: Degrees of political intervention in collective bargaining autonomy," Discussion papers e-14-015, Graduate School of Economics Project Center, Kyoto University.
    9. Mária Sedláková & Mykhailo Slukvin & Monika Martišková, 2020. "Trade unions and professional associations as civil society actors working on the issues of labour rights and social dialogue in Ukraine," Research Reports 39, Central European Labour Studies Institute (CELSI).
    10. Marta Kahancová & Monika Martišková, 2023. "Strengthening legislation, weakening collective bargaining? Two faces of trade union strategies in Czechia and Slovakia," European Journal of Industrial Relations, , vol. 29(1), pages 63-81, March.
    11. Lisa Dorigatti, 2014. "Organizzare i non organizzati," ECONOMIA E SOCIET? REGIONALE, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2014(1), pages 129-141.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:ilrrev:v:77:y:2024:i:1:p:62-87. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.ilr.cornell.edu .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.