Kamal Abbas

Kamal Abbas
Kamal Abbas
Born
كمال عباس

1955 (age 68–69)[1]
Egypt
NationalityEgyptian
Known forCo-founding CTUWS, activism in the 2011 Egyptian revolution, organizer of strikes, advocacy for workers' rights
Political partyWorkers Democratic Party

Kamal Abbas (Egyptian Arabic: كمال عباس; born in 1955) is General Coordinator of the Center for Trade Unions and Workers Services (CTUWS), an activist group for independent unions in Egypt.[2] Involved in activism for over 20 years,[3] Abbas has been active in mobilizing worker support during the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 and its aftermath. His approach emphasizes peaceful strikes and rallies accompanied by demands for better wages and working conditions,[4] as well as more regular elections for union officials, and an independent union system.

He began his work by organizing a strike at a steel plant in Helwan, Egypt in 1989, for which he was arrested, tortured, and fired. That incident led to his starting the CTUWS and advocating for workers' rights throughout Egypt. Abbas' relationship with Mubarak's regime was tense and marked by conflicts with the government and multiple arrests.[3] The Los Angeles Times called Abbas "a major annoyance" to President Hosni Mubarak's regime, and "passionate, methodical and accustomed to police surveillance."[5]

In 2007, Abbas was charged with defamation and sentenced to one year of prison. There was international condemnation of the ruling, with major labor and human rights groups defending Abbas. In February 2012 he was once again sentenced to a prison term, this time six months for "insulting" a public official.

Abbas' work gained momentum and attention during the 2011 Egyptian revolution, where he helped mobilize workers in the nationwide movement for civil rights and the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak's regime.

  1. ^ "Workers Advice Center (WAC/MAAN) | Egypt's Workers on the Move". Wac/Maan. 25 November 1989. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  2. ^ Dine, Philip (8 February 2011). "DINE: Egyptian workers key element in uprising". The Washington Times. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Roots of Egypt's Revolution: Labor Unions and the Uprising in Tahrir Square". Towardfreedom.com. 22 June 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  4. ^ "Egyptians defy call to end strikes - Middle East". Al Jazeeran English. 16 February 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
  5. ^ "Problems in Egypt - Unions tap into public ire in Egypt". Los Angeles Times. 14 May 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2011.