The suspended Egyptian stock exchange has delayed its plan to reopen later this week, amid persistent strikes in banks and several government services.
The market had been due to reopen on Wednesday, which would have been two weeks after it was closed after a dramatic drop in prices caused by mounting protest against the regime of Hosni Mubarak.
Mubarak has now been overthrown and replaced by a military junta, but the political protests have now transformed into a wave of strikes by workers seeking better pay and conditions after years of having their grievances suppressed. The junta today called for an end to the industrial action.
'EGX decided to suspend trading on the 16th and 17th of February, until work is resumed in the banking sector,' the exchange said in a statement.
This would take the closure up to Friday, the start of the weekend in the Islamic world, meaning the market could not reopen until Sunday at the earliest, even if the strikes subside.
