Egyptian workers escalate protests over low salary rates

Egypt has been witnessing for more than five years fierce and unprecedented debate on the salary rates.

A debate which has been escalated recently by workers, especially after the Egyptian Higher Administrative Court ruled on March 31 that the government should set new minimum salary rate.

Workers flocked to the cabinet headquarters in downtown Cairo, calling on the government to set a minimum monthly salary rate of 1,200 Egyptian pounds (about 215 U.S. dollars) instead of the 35 pounds stipulated by the government in 1984.

According to Egypt's Ministry of Investment, the country's growth rate is projected at 5 percent in the current 2009-2010 fiscal year, which will end in June.