Several workers from Egypt’s Modern Gas Company have been released on bail after reaching an agreement with management to end a strike that had spread across multiple governorates.
Public prosecutors in Sohag and Qena ordered the release of some workers—detained over their participation in a work stoppage—on bail of 5,000 Egyptian pounds each, according to two employees who spoke to Al Manassa on condition of anonymity.
The workers had been demanding to be removed from subcontracting arrangements with the Arab Company for Supplies and Contracting, and to be offered direct employment contracts with Modern Gas.
The release came after a mediated agreement between the company and the striking workers, “under security supervision,” to end the action in exchange for freeing their detained colleagues, one worker explained to Al Manassa.
However, he noted that the company has yet to drop its official complaints accusing workers of “inciting strike action, sabotage, and causing financial losses by disrupting operations.”
On Monday, workers at several company sites were forced to abandon the strike under threat of arrest and dismissal. But others in Sohag, Qena, and Sharqia refused to back down and continued their protest.
A second worker said there was confusion over how many people had been detained, as some were taken from their homes in Qena and Sohag on Friday, while others were arrested near the company’s Qena branch on Sunday.
Workers are now coordinating with lawyers and families to confirm whether the release decision applies to all those arrested.
Workers have long complained of low wages, with more than 25% of their salaries deducted by the Arab Company for Supplies and Contracting. They are denied basic entitlements including health insurance, official sick leave, and vacation days.
The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms reiterated its support for the striking workers in a statement on Monday, stressing that “if the state—acting as employer—turns a blind eye to violations of its own labor laws, it effectively gives the private sector carte blanche to do the same.”
The Center for Trade Union and Workers Services echoed these concerns, denouncing subcontracting as a gateway to exploitation and calling for the full regularization of all Modern Gas workers.
In a statement, the center condemned the “use of security threats to suppress peaceful protests,” including police raids on workers’ homes and arrests over legitimate demands.
It also urged the Ministry of Petroleum and the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company to abolish subcontracting altogether and grant permanent contracts to all employees.
Modern Gas, which operates under the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, is a subsidiary of the state-run EGAS. The company was created through the merger of Regas, Sinai Gas, and Cairo Gas.
Modern Gas is tasked with the installation and maintenance of household and industrial gas networks, and has been involved in high-profile infrastructure projects in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital and Alamein City.
