Egypt rebellion spreads to sprawling state economy

* Industrial action sweeps through Egypt state sector

* "Leave, leave, leave!" workers tell their bosses

By Tom Perry

CAIRO, Feb 13 (Reuters) - The spirit of rebellion that toppled Hosni Mubarak has swept through Egypt's vast public sector, inspiring workers fed up with meagre wages and poor working conditions to take to the streets in protest.

From state-owned financial institutions in Cairo to Alexandria's seaport, workers went on strike on Sunday, disrupting operations and forcing the central bank to declare an unscheduled bank holiday on Monday.

The chant of "Leave, leave, leave!" moved from Tahrir Square, the epicentre of the protest movement that overthrew the president, into the surrounding streets of Cairo's financial district as workers demanded their bosses' ouster too.

Outside a state-owned insurance company just a few metres from the square, hundreds of workers were demanding the departure of managers they blame for grievances such as the enormous gap between high and low earners.

"I have been working for five years in the company," said Hala Fawzi, a mother of two. "Finally we have been encouraged to come out and speak," she said, waving a letter written a year ago laying out her grievances against her employer.