abbas began working in a steel mill in 1975 at the age of 20. while under the mubarak regime, abbas began organizing workers, despite unions being dominated by the state-approved egyptian trade union federation (etuf). in 1989 he participated in a strike at the iron and steel company plant in helwan where 19,000 workers sought wage increases and a meal during work. they were met by 10,000 riot police who fired rubber bullets and tear gas at the striking workers; ultimately the strike was broken up when security forces stormed the plant, resulting on one death, one hundred injuries and hundreds of arrests.