¹ Commission de Conciliation de Travail, VIIeme Rapport, Annex II, F.O. 141/779/9321/106. There are no figures for the membership of these labour syndicates. Figures pertaining to some syndicates which went on strike during the period 1919–1921 are available. Twenty-eight such syndicates had a total number of 26,714 workers, i.e., an average of approximately 954 workers per syndicate.Google Scholar

² Ibid.

³ Egypt, Fihrast Majmu'at al-Qawanin wal-Marasim al-Muta'aliqa bil-Shu'an al-'Amma Sanat 1919 (Cairo, 1921), p. 61.Google Scholar

⁴ E.g., the index number of retail prices of food, fuel, soap, etc., for artisans and labourers in Cairo was, during most of 1920, not less than 282 (taking 1913–1914 as the 100 base). Egypt, Ministry of Finance, Statistical Department, Monthly Agricultural Statistics, Ninth Year, Second Series, No. 3 (Cairo, 1920), p. 10.Google Scholar

⁵ 'Ali, Muhammad Zaki, Taqrir 'an Halat 'Ummal al-Tram bil-Qahira (Cairo, 1920), pp. 14–15.Google Scholar

⁶ Extracts from Major Capper's situation reports covering the period 28 January to 24 June 1924, F.O. 141/583/9321/123.Google Scholar

⁷ F.O. 141/583/9321/106.Google Scholar

⁸ Ibid.

⁹ Great Britain, Department of Overseas Trade, Report on the Economic and-Financial Situation of Egypt (London, 1921), pp. 28–29.Google Scholar

¹⁰ Al-Ahram, 9 January 1923.Google Scholar

¹¹ Al-'Urabi was a merchant by profession (ibid., 29 May 1924). He was one of the founders of the Socialist Party and was its delegate in the fourth conference of the Communist International (ibid., 7 March 1924).

¹² Marun was a lawyer at the Mixed Courts in Alexandria, and an advisor to labour trade unions (ibid., 29 May 1924).

¹³ Ibid., 20 March 1923.

¹⁴ F.O. 141/583/9321/123. Abu al-Fath was a teacher by profession (Al-Ahram, 29 May 1924).Google Scholar

¹⁵ F.O. 141/583/9321/123.Google Scholar

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¹⁸ A letter from Fahmi to Zaghlul, dated 18 October 1919. Anis, Muhammad, Dirasat fi Watha'iq Thawrat 1919, Vol. 1 (Cairo, 1963), p. 154 (hereafter Anis).Google Scholar

¹⁹ Ibid.

²⁰ Commission de Conciliation du Travail, VIIeme Rapport, Annexe II, F.O. 141/779/9321/106.Google Scholar

²¹ Thabit revived the Handicrafts Trade Union established by the Watani Party in 1908, and, not unlike the Watanists, cooperated with the Wafd in the aftermath of the 1919 popular uprising. The Handicrafts Trade Union had over 1,000 members and branches in Port-Said, Isma'iliya, and Alexandria.Google Scholar

²² Ruh al-'Asr, No. 3, 28 February 1930, an interview with Zuhair Sabri who claimed that the labour unions began as nationalist syndicates and were gradually transformed to labour syndicates proper.Google Scholar

²³ Qandil, Saiyid, Naqabiyyati: al-Risala al-'Ummaliya al-Ula (Cairo, 1938), pp. 17–18 (hereafter Qandil).Google Scholar

²⁴ F.O. 141/583/9321/116.Google Scholar

²⁵ Ittihad al-'Ummal, 12 June 1924.Google Scholar

²⁶ The statute was actually written by ‘Abd al-Rahman Fahmi, Zuhair Sabri and Hasan Nafi’.Google Scholar

²⁷ Fahmi, pp. 2853–2854.Google Scholar

²⁸ A1-'Ummal, 31 October 1924.Google Scholar

²⁹ Ittihad al-'Ummal, 23 November 1924.Google Scholar

³⁰ Ibid., 9 November 1924.

³¹ Anis, the full text of the statute, pp. 309–320; article 5, clauses 1–3, pp. 309–310.Google Scholar

³² Ibid., articles 46, 47, 48 and 50, p. 318.

³³ Ittihad al-'Ummal, 9 November 1924.Google Scholar

³⁴ Ibid.

³⁵ Fahmi, pp. 2822–2823.Google Scholar

³⁶ Ibid., p. 2870. Fahmi himself was a shareholder in Bank Misr from its foundation (ibid., p. 3772).

³⁷ See Deeb, Marius, ‘Bank Misr and the Emergence of the Local Bourgeoisie in Egypt,’ Middle Eastern Studies, 12, 3 (1976), 69–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

³⁸ Al-'Ummal August 1924.Google Scholar

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⁴⁰ Madabit Majlis al-Nuwwab, session 22 November 1924.Google Scholar

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⁴² Fahmi, p. 2879. Fahmi's decision was probably affected by the fact that he had been previously involved in clandestine activities, since 1919, and that charges brought against him in the trial of 1920 were not completely unfounded.Google Scholar

⁴³ Report on Labour Situation, January 1925 to September 1926, F.O. 141/583/9321/143.Google Scholar

⁴⁴ Vatikiotis erroneously states that ‘a pro-Ittihad party union was organized in 1925 under Abd al-Rahman Fahmi’ (Vatikiotis, P. J., The Modern History of Egypt [London, 1969], p. 335).Google Scholar

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⁴⁷ Ibid., see Madabit Majlis al-Nuwwab, sessions 22, 25, 31 August 1926, and 10, 23 January 1927.

⁴⁸ List of Syndicates in Cairo, 14. October 1926, F.O. 141/583/9321/143.Google Scholar

⁴⁹ Ruh al-'Asr, No. 6, 21 March 1930, p. 8.Google Scholar

⁵⁰ Senator Aziz Mirhum. F.O. 141/583/9321/161.Google Scholar

⁵¹ Al-'Amil al-Misri, 10 February 1930. This newspaper came out from February until June 1930. As the communist challenge was over, the Wafdist labour leaders became more radical. This could be seen in the articles and reports of al-'Amil al-Misri as compared with those of Ittihad al-'Ummal of 1924–1925.Google Scholar

⁵² Madabit Majlis al—Nuwwab, session 13 June 1926.Google Scholar

⁵³ Ibid., session 25 January 1927.

⁵⁴ Ibid.

⁵⁵ In October 1926 there were 21 syndicates in Cairo (F.O. 141/583/9321/142a). In 1927 the General Workmen's syndicate's affiliated and allied unions numbered 36 in Cairo and elsewhere (F.O. 141/585/9231/143). By the end of 1930, there were 36 syndicates in Cairo alone having a total membership of approximately 19,000 workers (F.O. 141/763/506/1/31).Google Scholar

⁵⁶ F.O. 141/583/9321/1421a.Google Scholar

⁵⁷ Misr al-Sina'iya, 3, 2 (1927), 27;Google Scholaribid., 4, 2 (1928), 37–39; ibid., 4,6 (1928), 29–33; ibid., 5, 8 (1929), 28.

⁵⁸ A note by Smart dated 29 January 1930, F.O. 141/649/268/1130.Google Scholar

⁵⁹ Ruh al-'Asr, No. 18, 13 June 1930, p. 8.Google Scholar

⁶⁰ Al-'Amil al-Misri, No. 11, 26 May 1930.Google Scholar

⁶¹ This was proposed by senator 'Aziz Mirhum in April 1930, but incurred some criticism from workers (Ruh al-'Asr, No. 9, 11 April 1930, p. 3;Google Scholar see ibid., No. so, 18 April 1930, p. 6.)

⁶² Ibid., No. 18, 13 June 1930, p. 8.

⁶³ Ibid., No. 6, 21 March 1930, p. 8.

⁶⁴ Ibid., No., 28 February 1930, p. 8.

⁶⁵ Ibid., No. 4, 7 March 1930, p. 5.

⁶⁶ F.O. 141/658/164/25130.Google Scholar

⁶⁷ Ibid.

⁶⁸ A1-Tali'a, 1, 6 (1965), 156. Harold Butler was delegated by the International Labour Oflice at the request of Sidqi's Cabinet to examine the labour situation in Egypt. The report was submitted in March 1932 (ibid., p. 146).

⁶⁹ Ibid., p. 148.

⁷⁰ Musa, Salama, ‘Harakat al-'Ummal fi Misr,’ al-Majalla al-Jadida, 4, 2 (02 1935), 19–20.Google Scholar

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⁷³ Qandil, pp. 28–29. Ratib was, until June 1930, a member of the Liberal Constitutionalist Party (Ruh al-'Asr, No. 18, 13 June 1930).Google Scholar

⁷⁴ 'Imara, Muhammad Hasan, Arba'ina 'Aman fi al-Haraka al-'Ummaliya, MS (hereafter 'Imara), pp. 12–13. ‘Imara, himself a member of the General Union, took part in the action against Ratib. Jam grateful to Dr. Ra'uf 'Abbas of Cairo University for making this manuscript available for me to consult.Google Scholar

⁷⁵ 'Abbas, Ra'uf, al-Haraka al-'Ummaliya fi Misr 1899–1952 (Cairo, 1967), p. 90.Google Scholar

⁷⁶ A1-Safa', 26 April 1931.Google Scholar

⁷⁷ F.O. 141/763/506/1/131. This refers to the Halim's labour syndicate in Cairo only, but the General Union had already formed branches in various towns such as Alexandria, Damanhur, al-Mahmudiya, Banha and Hilwan (Qandil, pp. 19–20).Google Scholar

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⁷⁹ 'Abbas, p. 97; al-Muqattam, 28 December 1934.Google Scholar

⁸⁰ 'Imara, p. 14.Google Scholar

⁸¹ Ibid.

⁸² Ibid., p. 15.

⁸³ Al-Safa', No. 1, 3 April 1931.Google Scholar

⁸⁴ F.O. 141/583/9321/142a.Google Scholar

⁸⁵ Al-Safa', No. 1, 3 April 1931.Google Scholar

⁸⁶ Although Wafdist-controlled labour unions joined Halim's General Union ('Abbas, p. 91).Google Scholar

⁸⁷ Vatikiotis incorrectly states: ‘in 1933–4, Abbas Halim detached his union from the Wafd and formed the Egyptian Labour Party (possibly by this time inspired by the Crown)’ (Modern History of Egypt, p. 335).Google Scholar

⁸⁸ European Department to Oriental Secretary, Confidential, 30 June 1931, F.O. 141/763/506/22131.Google Scholar

⁸⁹ Ibid.

⁹⁰ The Egyptian Gazette, 22 July 1931.Google Scholar

⁹¹ European Department to Smart, 25 June 1934, F.O. 141/733/894/3/34.Google Scholar

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⁹³ 'Imara, p. 18.Google Scholar

⁹⁴ Ibid.

⁹⁵ 'Abbas, pp. 95–96.Google Scholar

⁹⁶ F.O. 141/733/894/Ia/34, 21 June 1934.Google Scholar

⁹⁷ Five out of seven major disputes that took place during 1934. Egypt, Labour Office, Annual Report for the Year 1935 (Cairo, 1935), Annex C, pp. 40–41. The list shows some of the disputes in which the Labour Office intervened.Google Scholar

⁹⁸ Lampson to Eden, 16 April 1937, F.O. 371/989/815/16.Google Scholar

⁹⁹ Misr al-Sina'iyya, 5, 7 (1929), 5.Google Scholar

¹⁰⁰ Ibid., 7, 2–3 (1931), 20.

¹⁰¹ Al-Tali'a, 1, 6 (1965), 149.Google Scholar

¹⁰² Egypt, Labour Office, Annual Report for the Year 1935, pp. 27–28.Google Scholar

¹⁰³ Al-Tali'a, 1, 6 (1965), 149.Google Scholar

¹⁰⁴ Ibid., 1, 5, (1965), 158; Misr al-Sina'iya, 6, 7 (1928), 29–32.

¹⁰⁵ Ibid., 9, 1 (1933), 8.

¹⁰⁶ Al-Ahram, 12 February 1935.Google Scholar

¹⁰⁷ Lampson to Simon, 15 February 1935, F.O. 141/713/259/6/35.Google Scholar

¹⁰⁸ Ibid.; 'Imara, p. 24.

¹⁰⁹ 'Abbas Halim and Ahmad Husain came to an agreement that legal advisors to labour syndicates were ‘to be chosen from the ranks of “Young Egypt” members.’ Abbas Halim and Young Egypt Society, 24 January 1935, Secret, F.O. 141/703/259/2/35.

¹¹⁰ Discussion with Director General of the European Department, 12 February 1935, F.O. 141/713/259/8/35.Google Scholar

¹¹¹ Kawab al-Sharq, 11 February 1935.Google Scholar

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¹¹⁶ Al-Musawwar, No. 551, 3 May 1935, p. 14; Edgar Jallad, the editor of the newspaper La Liberté, formed a Palace-sponsored General Union of Syndicates in 1931, which had a total membership of about 150 workers.Google Scholar

¹¹⁷ Lampson to Simon, 17 May 1935, F.O. 141/713/259/19/35.Google Scholar

¹¹⁸ Lampson to Eden, 31 December 1935, F.O. 141/713/259/23/35.Google Scholar

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¹²⁰ Ibid.

¹²¹ Madabit Majlis al-Nuwwab, session 10 August 1936.Google Scholar

¹²² Ibid., session 20 July 1936.

¹²³ Ibid., session 24–25 August 1936.

¹²⁴ Madabit Majlis al-Shuyakh, sessions 7 and 9 September 1936.Google Scholar

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¹²⁸ E.g., workers of Hotels Company, Kom Ombo Company, Pressing Company, and Alexandria Tramway (A1-Ahram, 13 March 1, 2 and 17 April 1937).Google Scholar

¹²⁹ The Egyptian Gazette, 11 August 1937. It seems that Halim was encouraged by King Faruq hoping to form a labour party which would be ‘a troublesome thorn in the side of the Wafd’ (Kelly to Eden, 18 August 1937, F.O. 141/660/357/2/37).Google Scholar

¹³⁰ Qandil, pp. 33, 43.Google Scholar

¹³¹ Ibid., p. 34. In April 1938 Halim became Za'im, while Muhammad al-Damardash al-Shanadi was elected president. The latter was an employee at a weaving company in Alexandria ('Imara, p. 27).

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