( dpa ) - Professors at Egypt's state-run universities took to the streets Sunday for a one-day strike to demand pay raises.
Around 850 professors at Cairo university demonstrated outside the university's main auditorium and called for increased salariese, Mohamed Abu-algar, professor at Cairo university, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.
"This strike has achieved remarkable success, despite of all the governmental pressures to prevent the demonstrations," Abu-algar said, as it "reflects the economic hardships that the university professors suffer from."
Egyptian professors have refrained from teaching 80 per cent of the scheduled lectures in faculties of engineering, sciences and arts at Cairo university.
Salem Sallam, a professor at Menia university, told dpa that starting salaries for teaching staff in all governmental universities have not been raised since 1972.
Teaching assistants are hired at less than 9 US dollars a month, while a university professor receives about 15 US dollars monthly.
Professors who have worked for more than 20 consecutive years in universities earn higher salaries, which do not exceed 25 US dollars. Bonuses are usually added to the professors' basic salaries.