Egypt

Post by **Brian Yare** » Thu Jun 09, 2011 5:20 pm

If the planned strike of Antiquities staff at museums and sites goes ahead next week then the whole of Egypt can be 'not recommended' for lovers of its history. And if there are still problems with sharks then there can be not much reason to visit even the Red Sea resorts.

It is a very bad time for Egypt, and I hope that the strikes can be averted. I doubt if the travel companies are telling their customers that there may be no antiquities to see!

Post by **FABlux** » Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:39 pm

Can you imagine booking a cruise or even hotel holiday to see the sites & finding them all closed

Wonder what the legal position is, I guess it depends on the fine print in the contracts

It is certainly going to put companies off offering Egypt trips isn't it. Just what this country needs now

Post by **Brian Yare** » Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:46 pm

It is the cruise passengers that will have it the worst - tied up 6 or 7 deep on the bank with nowhere to go. Some of them will have paid in advance for Abu Simbel by air, too.

About the only thing left for these unfortunate people will be an early morning balloon flight - if these are available.

It will be interesting to hear whether places such as Kitchener island are open ...

Post by **Glyphdoctor** » Thu Jun 09, 2011 9:24 pm

Do any of you really understand what is at stake here? Someone may have a one week holiday disrupted while the people who are disrupting it are simply demanding their basic human rights to have enough to eat, clothe themselves and take care of their families. Where is the sympathy for the real victims here? If you really love Egypt's history then show some regard and care for the people whose job it is to take care of it!

Post by **Lisak** » Thu Jun 09, 2011 9:30 pm

So true Glyph. Did anyone think of the tourist who come to London to find a Tube strike on? (and I think the BA strike was mentioned earlier!)

I am actually out next week and although it will be disappointing if I can not visit certain places, I won't feel put out (probably because I have visited many times before)

I for one hope that the staff get what they are demanding, but in this time of 'voidness' is it actually going to happen yet?

(Plus Brian, have you thought that they have seen that the visitor numbers are down and have planned it to cause least disruption?) After all, isn't that what a strike is set out to do?

Post by **FABlux** » Thu Jun 09, 2011 9:42 pm

I have every sympathy with the workers, but if the economy collapses because of a total loss of tourists, what jobs will there be for anybody? Monarch have already pulled out, how many other companies will follow suit?

The Russians have still not returned & one of the Russian companies (can't remember which one) have taken Egypt off their schedule. I know they are mainly Red Sea but Tez Tours do a late of trips to Luxor.

Post by **LivinginLuxor** » Thu Jun 09, 2011 10:27 pm

I really think this topic should NOT be in the places not recommended thread!

Tez Tours were around last week - saw several buses around the West Bank.

But going on strike will not solve a single thing - it might well exacerbate the situation - I'm certain that the powers that be will do everything to keep the sites open. Hopefully, the strikes will not go ahead, but if they do, it is a supreme example of shooting oneself in the foot. It's a totally lose-lose situation, in that the strikers will lose wages and the country will lose well-needed revenue. Another corollary may well be that the strikers will find themselves replaced by others who also need to make a living. I noticed that in Ahram Online, it stated that security guards at Giza decided to go ahead with a strike - I would think that they would quickly be replaced by security forces if they did so.

Despite the above, I have sympathy with them, but surely they must realise that their demands at present are unrealistic, and could mean that, when the Western media start reporting the situation, the slow trickle of tourists returning to Egypt will stop, maybe for several years.

Post by **Shareen** » Thu Jun 09, 2011 10:34 pm

Pretty much agree with Stan on this one. I have heard a number of people say that Egypt does not need tourists anyway. Apparently it is a rich country with oil and the Suez Canal, so why do they need foreign money? Oh and everyone travelling though the Suez should have to pay in EGP, then the egyptian pound will be the currency of the world instead of the dollar.

I am sorry, but with remarks like this being made by egyptians here in Luxor, one does have to ask if there is any hope for Egypt in the future.
No matter what is decided in Cairo, the rest of Egypt are by and large uneducated and unable to understand even simple politics. As for a national budget...... budgets?? What are they?

Post by **Brian Yare** » Thu Jun 09, 2011 11:53 pm

Stan wrote "I really think this topic should NOT be in the places not recommended thread! "

I obviously thought it was the right place for a discussion. So long as any positive news is placed here as soon as it becomes available then tourists will not be put off. How many of them even reach this particular forum?

I would suggest that what Egypt needs at the moment is strong leadership - a Margaret Thatcher - but I'd probably have to run and hide from the resulting cross-fire. At the moment there seems to be little leadership either at National or Local level, and the ordinary people are able to flex their muscles unopposed.

Now to bed, before I put my foot in it!

Post by **Glyphdoctor** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 6:01 am

Lisak wrote:So true Glyph. Did anyone think of the tourist who come to London to find a Tube strike on? (and I think the BA strike was mentioned earlier!)

I once was in London and found the Tube was broken down and wound up having to go up to the street again and spending 22 GBP on a taxi to get me to Paddington Station to go to the airport!

Post by **Glyphdoctor** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 6:10 am

LivinginLuxor wrote: But going on strike will not solve a single thing - it might well exacerbate the situation - I'm certain that the powers that be will do everything to keep the sites open. Hopefully, the strikes will not go ahead, but if they do, it is a supreme example of shooting oneself in the foot. It's a totally lose-lose situation, in that the strikers will lose wages and the country will lose well-needed revenue. Another corollary may well be that the strikers will find themselves replaced by others who also need to make a living. I noticed that in Ahram Online, it stated that security guards at Giza decided to go ahead with a strike - I would think that they would quickly be replaced by security forces if they did so.

Despite the above, I have sympathy with them, but surely they must realise that their demands at present are unrealistic, and could mean that, when the Western media start reporting the situation, the slow trickle of tourists returning to Egypt will stop, maybe for several years.

Stan, with all due respect, I am sure you don't even realize 1% of the "situation" that is prompting this call for a strike. Leaving aside the positive effects on tourism and revenue that averting a strike could have, the rest of the situation is far, far worse than you can even imagine. Think about museums and archaeological sites in other countries, and while salaries may still leave something to be desired in those places, they aren't anywhere near as low as in Egypt. And couple that with the fact that the museums and archaeological sites of Egypt get lots of visitors, probably far more than in some other countries, and that ticket fees are on par with those of Western countries for visitors, and you have to ask yourself, where is all the money going? The extent of the corruption in the ministry is astounding and frankly in my opinion it is a situation that requires drastic measures. What shocks me is that they didn't do this a month or two ago. But the archaeologists are not as organized as the doctors were with their strike, partially because we have never gotten our act together and gotten a union although now there are plans underway for that hopefully soon.

Post by **Glyphdoctor** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 6:14 am

Brian Yare wrote:Stan wrote "I really think this topic should NOT be in the places not recommended thread! "

I obviously thought it was the right place for a discussion. So long as any positive news is placed here as soon as it becomes available then tourists will not be put off. How many of them even reach this particular forum

Brian is right. It is publicity like this that will HELP the demands to be met and also help tourists to avert any unpleasant surprises.

Post by **Chris** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 12:48 pm

I can't find any information about this supossedly planned strike! Is this just another rumour (we have so many on this website) or has the strike proposals been published some where?

Post by **Countessa** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 12:53 pm

It's not a rumour...

http://english.ahram.org.eg/~/NewsConte ... ssion.aspx

(last two paras refer to the proposed MSA strikes)

Post by **DJKeefy** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 1:30 pm

Chris wrote:I can't find any information about this supossedly planned strike! Is this just another rumour (we have so many on this website) or has the strike proposals been published some where?

That's nice of you Chris, Can you list the other rumours that THIS website provided that are false.

Post by **Assade** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 1:50 pm

Thank you Contessa

Post by **Glyphdoctor** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 4:05 pm

Does my hearing about it directly from the people planning the strike count or are you going to discount that too?

Post by **Who2** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 6:22 pm

DJKeefy wrote:
Chris wrote:I can't find any information about this supossedly planned strike! Is this just another rumour (we have so many on this website) or has the strike proposals been published some where?
That's nice of you Chris, Can you list the other rumours that THIS website provided that are false.

er.."I'm really a gynecologist, Oh! yeh and 11 years old............

Post by **LivinginLuxor** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 10:01 pm

Yes - the rumour about girls being abducted on the road to the airport for one!

If the 'planned' (and I doubt that) strike goes ahead, the strikers will almost certainly lose their jobs and be replaced by people who are quite happy to receive a wage.

Post by **Glyphdoctor** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 11:39 pm

LivinginLuxor wrote:
If the 'planned' (and I doubt that) strike goes ahead, the strikers will almost certainly lose their jobs and be replaced by people who are quite happy to receive a wage.

Stan-You are now spreading rumors. You know nothing about the labor laws so stop while you are ahead.