Cairo’s Metro Strike a Success  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The metro is back in Egypt – after a four hour strike. Train services, which ferry up to 2 million people across Cairo daily, came to a standstill as drivers stopped work in protest against the chairperson of the metro board of directors, who is being accused of corruption. The workers are also demanding better salaries and working conditions.
Sadat Metro in Cairo, by Peter Morgan (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
On Twitter, netizens cheered on the strike, lending their support to what they described as the workers’ legitimate demands.
Salma El Tarzi salutes the metro workers on the success of their strike. She writes [ar]:
تحية لاضراب المترو! والمواطنين المتضررين مشكلتكم مع الحكومة مش مع العمال اللي مضربين عشان حقوقهم
@Salma_El_Tarzi: Congratulations to the Metro strikers! The people effected by the strike should have a problem with the government and not with the workers who went on strike to demand their rights
Mona Seif shares a similar thought:
اللي متضرر من اضراب المترو يشوف طريقة تساعد في تحقيق مطالبهم فيرجعوا يشتغلوا.عيب يا بني ادمين يبقى طلبكو الناس تتقهر في صمت عشان تكمل خدمتكو
@Monasosh: Those effected by the metro strike should go find a way for their demands to be met so that they can return to their work. It's shameful for people to expect others to get exasperated in silence while they continue to serve you.
And Ola Shahba calls for more support for the metro workers:
#اضراب_المترو نموذج لعمال عارفين منين يوجعوا الحكومه ويجبروها تتفاوض.لادركهم ان الخدمه ال بيقدموها مينفعش تتوقف كثيرا,لازم ندعمهم ضد الضغط
@OlaShahba: The metro strike is an example of  workers who know how to hurt the government and force it to negotiate as they realise that the service they provide cannot be stopped for too long. We should support them so that their don't cave in to pressure
Dina Samak compares the success of the metro worker's strike with the lack of attention the on-going doctors’ strike is facing in Egypt. She tweets [ar]:
اضراب المترو نجح بسرعة لان تعطيل النقل بيوجع الرأسمالية واضراب الاطباء مستمر لسه لان الحاكم مش فارق معاه الغلابة.. الحل تضامن الكل مع الكل
@dinasamak: The metro strike was an immediate success because halting transportation hurts Capitalism. But the doctors’ strike continues because the Ruler still doesn't care for the poor. The solution is in solidarity between everyone.
Egyptian doctors have have been on partial strike since October 1. Their demands include increasing the share of health care spending in the government's budget from 5 per cent to 15pc, an increase in their salaries and better security at health facilities.
And Nermeen Bedair adds:
اصحابي الأطباء على فيسبوك (سواء مع او ضد اضراب الأطباء) بيقترحو الأطباء يطلبو من عمال المترو يضمو مطالب الأطباء لمطالبهم وينصصو ف الكادر :))
@Nermbed: My doctor friends on Facebook (those with and those against the strike) suggest that doctors request the metro workers to add the doctors’ demands to theirs
While Mohammed Shawkuy remarks:
سواقين المترو عملوا اضراب و البلد وقفت وبعدها بـ 4 ساعات الوزارة بتتغير! الأطباء بقالهم 45 يوم عاملين اضراب وعشان محدش مات محدش معبر أهلهم!
@shawkination: The metro drivers held a strike which brought the country to a standstill. After four hours, the ministry changes. Doctors have been on [partial] strike for 45 days and no one is paying attention because no one has died