Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-9pm4c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T16:17:02.525Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Egyptian revolution in and out of the juridical space: an inquiry into labour law and the workers' movement in Egypt

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 May 2014

Mai Taha
Mai Taha*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Law, University of Toronto. Email: mai.taha@utoronto.ca
*
mai.taha@utoronto.ca
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Since the spark of the Egyptian revolution in January 2011, issues of political party law reform, constitutional declarations, and the institution of free and fair elections have taken the lead in mainstream politics, and at times, relegated the role of organised labour to mere economistic agitation and disruption of an already ‘disrupted’ life, in the eyes of the Egyptian public. In contrast to mainstream depiction of the labour movement as a ‘single issue’ movement, this paper shows the decisive political role of labour struggles that took place both inside and outside the judicial and legal systems, in the years leading up to the events of 25 January. This paper identifies the diversity of tactics used by the labour movement, and its unique approach to legality – a defensive legality approach, where legality and illegality are both taken seriously as legitimate tactics of resistance. The defensive legality approach recognises the violence and coerciveness of the legal form, as well as the tactical potential of recourse to the legal system to defend the labour movement. The experience of Egyptian workers in the wake of the 25 January revolution reveals the politics and the limits of law, as well as the significance of tactically and defensively using the law.

Type
Articles
Information
International Journal of Law in Context , Volume 10 , Issue 2 , June 2014 , pp. 177 - 194
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alexander, Ann (2008) ‘Inside Egypt's Mass Strikes’, International Socialism 118.Google Scholar
Alexander, Ann (2011) ‘The Gravedigger of Dictatorship’, Socialist Review, online: <http://www.socialistreview.org.uk/article.php?articlenumber=11580> (last accessed 9 July 2012).+(last+accessed+9+July+2012).>Google Scholar
Al-Jazeera (1995) ‘Trade Union Law No. 12, 1995’, Al-Jazeera, online: <http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/35A2F958-0E61-4B96-89CD-41CDB42107D0.htm> (last accessed 10 July 2012).+(last+accessed+10+July+2012).>Google Scholar
Arthurs, Harry (2011) ‘Labour Law After Labour’, Comparative Research in Law & Political Economy 15: 1–29.Google Scholar
Assaad, Ragui (2002) ‘Informalization and De-feminization: Explaining the Unusual Pattern in Egypt.’ Paper presented at the Conference on Rethinking Labour Market Informalization: Precarious Jobs, Poverty, and Social Protection, 18–19 October 2002, Cornell University.Google Scholar
Baker, Raymond William (1981) ‘Sadat's Open Door: Opposition from Within’, Social Problems 28: 378–84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bayat, Asef (2000) ‘Social Movements, Activism and Social Development in the Middle East. United Nations Research Institute for Social Development’, Programme Paper No. 3, online: <http://www.unrisd.org/80256B3C005BCCF9/(httpPublications)/9C2BEFD0EE1C73B380256B5E004CE4C3?OpenDocument&panel=seriespapers> (last accessed 10 July 2012).+(last+accessed+10+July+2012).>Google Scholar
Beinin, Joel (2009) ‘Workers’ Struggles under “Socialism” and Neoliberalism’, in El-Mahdi, Rabab and Marfleet, Philip (eds), Egypt: The Moment of Change. London: Zed Books, 68–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beinin, Joel (2010) ‘Egyptian Textile Workers: From Craft Artisans Facing European Competition to Proletarians Contending with the State’, in van Voss, Lex Heerma, Hiemstra-Kuperus, Els and van Nederveen Meerkerk, Elise (eds), The Ashgate Companion to the History of Textile Workers, 1650–2000. Surrey: Ashgate Publishing, 171–198.Google Scholar
Beinin, Joel (2011) ‘Workers and Egypt's January 25 Revolution’, International Labor and Working Class History 80: 189–96.Google Scholar
Beinin, Joel (2012) ‘The Working Class and the Popular Movement in Egypt’, in Sowers, Jeannie and Toensing, Chris (eds) The Journey to Tahrir: Revolution, Protest and Social Change in Egypt. London: Verso, 92–106.Google Scholar
Beinin, Joel and Vairel, Frédéric (2011) Social Movements, Mobilization, and Contestation in the Middle East and North Africa. Stanford: Stanford University Press.Google Scholar
Brown, Nathan J. (2013) ‘Egypt's Failed Transition’, Journal of Democracy 24: 45–58.Google Scholar
Carr, Sarah (2012) ‘New Court Ruling Obliges Egypt to Raise Minimum Wage’, The Daily News, online: <http://www.masress.com/en/dailynews/124429> (last accessed 9 July 2012).+(last+accessed+9+July+2012).>Google Scholar
CTUWS (Centre for Trade Union and Workers' Service) (2011) ‘The Draft Law on Trade Union Rights’, Centre for Trade Union and Workers' Service, online: <http://www.ctuws.com/uploads/Books/THE-DRAFT-LAW-ON-TRADE-UNIONS-RIGHTS/The-Draft-Law-on-Trade-Unions-Rights-Arabic.pdf> (last accessed 9 July 2012). (last accessed 9 July 2012).' href=https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=CTUWS(Centre+for+Trade+Union+and+Workers'+Service)+(2011)+‘The+Draft+Law+on+Trade+Union+Rights’,+Centre+for+Trade+Union+and+Workers'+Service,+online:++(last+accessed+9+July+2012).>Google Scholar
Charbel, Jano (2011) Interview with Jano Charbel, labour rights' activist and journalist at the Egyptian daily newspaper, Al-Masry Al-Yom, online: <http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/355785> (last accessed 10 July 2012). (last accessed 10 July 2012).' href=https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Charbel,+Jano+(2011)+Interview+with+Jano+Charbel,+labour+rights'+activist+and+journalist+at+the+Egyptian+daily+newspaper,+Al-Masry+Al-Yom,+online:++(last+accessed+10+July+2012).>Google Scholar
Charbel, Jano (2011) ‘A New Era for Trade Unions’, Al-Masry Al-Youm, online: <http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/355785> (last accessed 10 July 2012).+(last+accessed+10+July+2012).>Google Scholar
Charbel, Jano (2012) Blog, online: <http://she2i2.blogspot.com/> (last accessed 9 July 2012).+(last+accessed+9+July+2012).>Google Scholar
Chase, Anthony (1997) Law & History: The Evolution of the American Legal System. New York: The New Press.Google Scholar
Cragg, Wesley (2000) ‘Human Rights and Business Ethics: Fashioning a New Social Contract’, Journal of Business Ethics 7: 205, 208.Google Scholar
De smet, Brecht (2012) ‘Egyptian Workers and “Their” Intellectuals: The Dialectical Pedagogy of the Mahalla Strike Movement’, Mind, Culture and Activity 19: 139–55.Google Scholar
Duboc, Marie (2013) ‘Where Are the Men? Here Are the Men and Women! Surveillance, Gender, and Strikes in Egyptian Textile Factories’, Journal of Middle East Women Studies 9: 28–53.Google Scholar
El-Hamalawy, Hossam (2008) ‘Egypt Tax Collectors and the Fight for Independent Trade Unions’, Socialist Review, online: <http://www.socialistreview.org.uk/article.php?articlenumber=10654> (last accessed 10 July 2012).+(last+accessed+10+July+2012).>Google Scholar
El-Mahdi, Rabab (2010) ‘Labour as a Pro-Democracy Actor in Egypt and Brazil’, American University in Cairo, online <http://www.psa.ac.uk/journals/pdf/5/2010/1092_1356.pdf> (last accessed 10 July 2012).+(last+accessed+10+July+2012).>Google Scholar
El-Mahdi, Rabab (2011) ‘Labour Protests in Egypt: Causes and Meanings’, Review of African Political Economy 38: 387–402.Google Scholar
El-Shafie, Omar (1995) American University in Cairo Press.Google Scholar
Fudge, Judy and Tucker, Eric (2004) Labour Before the Law: The Regulation of Workers' Collective Action in Canada (1800–1948). Toronto: University of Toronto Press.Google Scholar
Gaber, Yassin (2011) ‘Egypt's Labour Movement Takes a Tumble’, AhramOnline, online: <http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/28840/Egypt/Politics-/Egypts-labour-movement-takes-a-tumble.aspx> (last accessed 10 July 2012). (last accessed 10 July 2012).' href=https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Gaber,+Yassin+(2011)+‘Egypt's+Labour+Movement+Takes+a+Tumble’,+AhramOnline,+online:++(last+accessed+10+July+2012).>Google Scholar
Gershoni, I., Erdem, Hakan and Woköck, Ursula (2002) Histories of the Modern Middle East: New Directions. Colorado: Lynne Rienner Publishers.Google Scholar
Hanna, Sami and Gardener, George (1969) Arab Socialism. Leiden: Brill Archive.Google Scholar
Harvey, David (1995) ‘Militant Particularism and the Global Ambition: The Conceptual Politics of Place, Space and the Environment in the Work of Raymond Williams’, Social Text 4: 69–98.Google Scholar
Harvey, David (2000) Spaces of Hope. Berkeley/Los Angeles: University of California Press.Google Scholar
International Labour Conference (2010) Record of Proceedings, 99th Session: 27.Google Scholar
Klare, Karl (2011) ‘Social Construction and System in Legal Theory’, German Law Journal 12: 516–524.Google Scholar
Knox, Robert (2009) ‘Marxism, International Law and Political Strategy’, Leiden Journal of International Law 22: 413–436.Google Scholar
Mansour, Nadeem (2011) ‘Interview with Nadim Mansour, the Executive Director of the Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR)’, 9 October, Cairo, Egypt.Google Scholar
Maturana, Humerto (1982) Erkennen: Die Organisation und Verkörperung von Wirklichkeit. Braunschweig.Google Scholar
Mitchell, Timothy (2002) Rule of Experts: Egypt, Techno-Politics, Modernity. London: University of California Press.Google Scholar
Mohammadein, Haitham (2011) ‘The Road to Trade Union Independence’, AhramOnline, online: <http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContentP/4/21615/Opinion/The-road-to-trade-union-independence.aspx> (last accessed 10 July 2012).+(last+accessed+10+July+2012).>Google Scholar
Nassar, Gaber Gad (2011) ‘Does Transitional Legislation Strengthen or Contain the Forces of the Revolution?,’ Conference proceedings, Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) and Foundation for International Relations and Foreign Dialogue (FRIDE), Cairo, July 2011.Google Scholar
Omar, Ashraf (2011) Mi'at Al'Alaf Men Al-‘Ommal Youwaseloun Al-Ihtigagat [‘Hundreds of Thousands of Workers Continue to Protest’] (translation is mine), The Socialist, online: <http://www.e-socialists.net/node/6469> (last accessed 9 July 2012). (last accessed 9 July 2012).' href=https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Omar,+Ashraf+(2011)+Mi'at+Al'Alaf+Men+Al-‘Ommal+Youwaseloun+Al-Ihtigagat+[‘Hundreds+of+Thousands+of+Workers+Continue+to+Protest’]+(translation+is+mine),+The+Socialist,+online:++(last+accessed+9+July+2012).>Google Scholar
Owen, Roger (1992) State, Power and Politics in the Making of the Modern Middle East, 3rd edn.New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Paczynska, Agnieszka (2006) ‘Globalization, Structural Adjustment, and Pressure to Conform: Contesting Labour Law Reform in Egypt’, New Political Science 28: 45–64.Google Scholar
Pollock, Friedrich (1982) ‘State Capitalism: Possibilities and Limitations’ in Arato, Andrew and Gerhardt, Eike (eds), The Essential Frankfurt School Reader. New York: Continuum, 71–94.Google Scholar
Posusney, Marsha Pripstein (1995) ‘Egypt's New Labour Law Removes Worker Provisions’, Middle East Report 194/195: 53.Google Scholar
Posusney, Marsha Pripstein (1997) Labour and the State in Egypt: Workers, Unions, and Economic Restructuring. New York: Colombia University Press.Google Scholar
Pratt, Nicola Christine (1998) ‘The Legacy of the Corporatist State: Explaining Workers’ Responses to Economic Liberalization in Egypt,' Durham Middle East Papers 60: 1–71.Google Scholar
Rogowski, Ralf (2009) ‘Reflexive Regulation of Labour and Employment Conflict Resolution’, in Callierss, G.-P., Fischer-Lescano, A., Wielsch, D. and Zumbansen, P. (eds), Soziologische Jurisprudenz: Festschrift für Günther Teubner. Berlin: De Gruyter Recht, 573–586.Google Scholar
Shokr, Ahmad (2012) ‘The Eighteen Days of Tahrir’, in Sowers, Jeannie and Toensing, Chris (eds), The Journey to Tahrir: Revolution, Protest and Social Change in Egypt. London: Verso, 41–46.Google Scholar
Solidarity Centre (2010) ‘Justice for All: The Struggle for Workers Rights in Egypt’, Solidarity Centre, online: <http://www.solidaritycenter.org/files/pubs_egypt_wr.pdf> (last accessed 10 July 2012).+(last+accessed+10+July+2012).>Google Scholar
Soliman, Samer and Daniel, Peter (2011) The Autumn of Dictatorship: Fiscal Crisis and Political Change under Mubarak. Stanford: Stanford University Press.Google Scholar
Stigset, Marianne and Sulugiuc, Gelu (2011) ‘Suez Canal, Carrying 8% of Trade, Open Amid Unrest’ Bloomberg, online: <http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-31/egypt-s-suez-canal-carrying-8-of-world-trade-remains-open-amid-violence.html> (last accessed 9 July 2012).+(last+accessed+9+July+2012).>Google Scholar
Teubner, Gunther (1988) Autopoetic Law: A New Approach to Law and Society. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter.Google Scholar
Thompson, E. P. (1971) ‘The Moral Economy of the English Crowd’, Past & Present 50: 76–136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zemni, Sami, De smet, Brecht and Bogaert, Koenraad (2012) ‘Luxemburg on Tahrir Sqaure: Reading the Arab Revolutions with Rosa Luxemburg's The Mass Strike’, Antipode 1: 1–20.Google Scholar
Zumbansen, Peer (2006a) ‘The Parallel Worlds of Corporate Governance and Labour Law’, Indiana Journal of Global Studies 13: 261–314.Google Scholar
Zumbansen, Peer (2006b) ‘Niklas Luhmann: Law as a Social System’, Social & Legal Studies 15: 453–468.CrossRefGoogle Scholar