Managers at Al-Bawaba News informed journalists on Sunday of their intent to liquidate the company, as an open strike continued since November 17 demanding minimum wage implementation. The announcement came during negotiations with the Journalists Syndicate, where worker representatives rejected the proposal and gave management 24 hours for a final decision. Current wages are capped at a maximum of LE2,000, a fraction of the legal minimum of LE7,000.
Journalists at Al-Bawaba News launched an open strike on November 17 at the company's headquarters, calling for the implementation of the legal minimum wage after prior negotiations failed. In October, 70 journalists submitted an official memorandum to the Journalists Syndicate, which mediated talks with management citing financial difficulties. Workers also lodged complaints with the prime minister's office and the Labor Ministry, whose inspectors visited the site earlier this month and issued a 10-day deadline to apply the minimum wage, threatening fines, according to Eman Ouf, a syndicate official.
When management—led by journalist Abdel Rahim Ali and his daughter, editor-in-chief Dalia Ali—took no action, the sit-in began, with protesters accusing leaders of denying financial rights. Sunday's negotiation session involved three sit-in representatives, Syndicate chair Khaled al-Balshy, board member Mahmoud Kamel, legal advisor Yehia al-Diasty, and several editors. The representatives rejected the liquidation proposal and gave management 24 hours to address demands.
Mada Masr contacted Diasty about potential journalist compensation in liquidation but received no comment. Efforts to reach Balshy and Kamel on the syndicate's next steps yielded no response by publication time. Balshy voiced solidarity, criticizing management's 'intransigence.' Dozens of journalists from other outlets joined the strike on Saturday in support, following the syndicate's October call to all press institutions to enforce the LE7,000 monthly minimum amid rising living costs, after a similar action by Al-Wafd staff.
Besides announcing liquidation, management removed Abdel Rahim Ali's name from the website's masthead, hours after his Facebook post claiming long-ago resignation from the board. Nearly two years prior, the syndicate referred Ali and Dalia to an internal probe over arbitrary dismissals and pay cuts, while suspending Al-Bawaba journalists' registration.