Today marked the fifth day of the custodial staff's sit-in on The American University in Cairo grounds. This is an event that has captured the attention of the entire country, because it reflects a trend in the economic downturn. In Egypt, as elsewhere, the minimum wage has stayed the same, but the prices of goods have skyrocketed. For Americans, this means cutting back on luxuries. However, for Egyptians, this means that the working class is on the brink of starvation. These custodians make about 400-500 Egyptian pounds a month. To put that in perspective, that is the equivalent of $70-$100 (USD) in take home pay. Although the cost of living in Egypt is lower, the discrepancy is not enough to justify paying AUC custodians so little. I spend on average 300 EGP on groceries every week for one person (they make 400 EGP per month to support an entire family. . . get the picture?)
The most despicable part of this debacle is that the people who run this institution are Americans. Not only that, but AUC also spent $300 million on building a new campus in the middle of the desert. So, you would think they could spare a little bit so that their workers don't starve.
The university has tried to keep the press out of the affair by barring journalists from campus. Instead, students have sent in eye-reports to local news media and CNN. I even brought my camera to campus today, because I realize that this is Egyptian history in process (or if not, it is the closest that I have come to the political process in action).
The major downside to this is that the campus is filthy. I blame the AUC administration, and the spoiled students who don't seem to know how to clean up after themselves. The toilets were so unsanitary that the administration locked them. I had to go seven hours without a bathroom break. Why am I so lucky?
Addendum: The AUC strike ended the day after I wrote this. There was no definite resolution, because the university promised to look into the issue of their lower paychecks, but may have threatened their jobs (as far as I heard), thus calling off the strike.
Blah. If they are working at an American institution, they deserve American-style wages in dollars! I sure as hell bet they are paying those faculty an American-level wage and charging students American-style tuition fees!! Why would all these big people come to Egypt otherwise? The unfairness of it just galls me. Like you, I am glad they are demonstrating but am ambivalent about it affecting the basic sanitation on campus. We had a garbage strike by garbage workers here in Chicago a few years ago. They made their point- things got very unsanitary very quickly. So you have my sympathies there
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Mark
Wow! This must be today, Sunday. Did you stay the entire day or grab some free rest time for yourself?
ReplyDeleteI am thinking of you.
It is totally mind-blowing what average Egyptian laborers make. As soon as you start adding it up and converting it into dollars, it just makes me sick. And remember that most Egyptians have large families! Of course they could NEVER buy food at Metro or any other upper class grocery. Nor could they dream of buying "fast food". They just live on another (lower) rung of life. Also, these workers thank God for this job, which is better than so many others. Could you imagine living on $100 a month and then watching rich AUC kids walk through the doors? I admire the working poor in Egypt.. for keeping at it. But they are shafted.
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