On December 5, police raided the Egyptian Fertilizers Company (EFC) and Egyptian Basic Industries Corporation (EBIC), both of which are owned by business magnate Nassif Sawiris, Egypt’s richest man. Workers at both of Sawiris’ fertilizer companies were striking to demand higher wages in light of the flotation and devaluation of the Egyptian pound. The coordinated police raids resulted in the arrests of around 200 striking workers, who were released within hours. Two other EFC workers were taken to Attaqa Police Station and released the following day after paying LE 10,000 bail each. A total of six EFC workers, including Yasser al-Geneidy — all of whom have been sacked because of this strike — had to appear before the Suez Criminal Court on January 28 on charges of “instigating a strike” and “halting production.”