After weeks of political unrest, a wave of strikes hits Egypt as workers protest for better conditions.
Following nearly three weeks of protests in Egypt demanding more political rights, President Hosni Mubarak resigned, handing control of the country to the military. The military government has promised to hold a referendum on changing the constitution within two months. On the streets of Cairo, volunteers are attempting to clean up the city.
Initially, it looked like normality was returning as protesters departed from Tahrir Square. But the situation took a different turn. In place of pro-democracy protests, many government buildings were surrounded by striking workers demanding better working conditions and higher pay. The eruption of so many strikes in Cairo and Nile Delta towns sends a clear message to Egypt's military rulers,
This revolution hasn't just been about politics it's about economics too.
One man is taking to the streets because
People want basic requirements.
About 2,000 police arrived at Tahrir Square to show solidarity with the revolution. Accused of violence during the Mubarak regime, to some, their appearance looked like an attempt to rewrite history.
The military has asked the unions to show restraint, but it seems that while they try to chart their country's political future, industrial action could prove to be a further destabilising factor.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 14 February 2011. The reporter is Ray Colgan.
