CAIRO: Egypt's Prime Minister Essam Sharaf on Thursday appointed Mustafa Amin the new antiquities chief tasked with protecting the country's treasures, the official MENA news agency reported.

Amin, who had been heading the Islamic archaeology department of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), took over from Mohammed Abdel Fattah who resigned last week amid strike pressure.

Abdel Fattah had said that a series of pickets by employees had led to the closure of several of the council's buildings in Cairo and left the institution "paralyzed."

Egypt has been hit by several waves of strikes since an uprising toppled the regime of Hosni Mubarak in February.

Workers have been demanding a raise in the minimum wage as well as improved working conditions.

The Supreme Council of Antiquities states that its main mission is to "protect and promote the cultural heritage of Egypt."