Strikers went as far as accusing the state-controlled General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU), which runs all labour unions in Egypt, of working with security forces to prevent workers from breaking with official labour unions. "You are all part of the National Democratic Party!" shouted one Mahalla worker during the meeting, referring to President Husni Mubarak's ruling party, in power since 1981. The Daily Star Egypt also quoted workers as saying that leaders from Mahalla received "phone threats by police and security forces". Interviewed on Egyptian private Dream 2 TV's "Forbidden" programme on 6 May, Husayn Mujawir, the head of the GFTU, stressed that "there is no security interference" in the work of the labour unions. He added: "Labour union committees participated in many strikes." "Staging strikes is a basic right of workers according to the law", Minister of Manpower and Immigration A'ishah Abd-al-Hadi said during an interview with Egyptian private Al-Yawm TV's "Cairo Today" programme on 21 April. "The problems of workers are being solved", she added, stressing: "My main task is to advocate the rights of workers."