CAIRO (Reuters) - An Egyptian court sentenced 50 policemen to three years in prison on Thursday for organising a strike against their working conditions in January, Egypt’s official news agency MENA reported.

The south Sinai court also terminated 40 of the defendants from their jobs and fined them 500 Egyptian pounds each in addition to a sum of 6,000 collectively for damages, MENA said.

The defendants were arrested and referred to Egypt’s general prosecution in January after organising a strike to denounce an interior ministry decision to reduce their vacation days and increase their work hours.

They were charged with striking, inciting violence and intimidating security forces.