in 2005 abbas was critical of how workers' rights were being addressed in the political dialogue. he said, "unfortunately, the labour movement's democratic demands are absent from the agenda of change called for by the opposition. even the political parties that are close to workers' circles—such as the tagammu and nasserist parties—are only interested now in the laws that regulate political participation and professional syndicates." he told the egyptian newspaper "al-ahram", "political movements that once upheld the interests of the working class based themselves on public sector workers, most of whom have been liquidated through early retirement schemes...the current environment where workers see people taking on the state and putting up a fight has created a situation in which we can see renewed labour activism of the sort now taking place...i do not think that such a movement would have been possible if it were not for the current movement for political reform."