New military rulers watched closely as many Egyptians resumed their jobs on the first day of the working week, after issuing a stern warning effectively banning labor protests and telling workers to abandon their revolutionary fervor.

There were no signs of the worker protests outside the state banks that erupted last Sunday and prompted the central bank to shut down state and private banks for the rest of the week.

But not everyone in the Egyptian capital heeded the army's warning that "the Supreme Council for the Armed forces will not allow the continuation of these illegal practices." About 70 employees demonstrated in front of the head office of the Omar Effendi department store chain in central Cairo, demanding that the company be re-nationalized.

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo and the pyramids at Giza were among the tourist sites that were reopened to the public for the first time in some three weeks. Egypt's lucrative tourist sector was dealt a body blow as foreigners stayed away due to unrest.

At pains to distance itself from Mubarak's old guard, the government plans to reshuffle the Cabinet, probably on Monday.

Opposition leader Mohamed El-Baradei warned Sunday that all the gains of Egypt's revolution will be lost if elections are held too soon because supporters of ousted president Hosni Mubarak will get back in power.

"If we go too fast, if we organize elections in four or five months, it will be all over for the revolution, the old regime will perpetuate itself in another guise," the Nobel Peace Prize laureate told the Turkish daily Milliyet.

"Mubarak's party will make a comeback under a new banner. These people already have everything, money, the media ... Move too fast toward elections will mean allowing the old regime to get back into power with a new face," he said.

El-Baradei envisaged the creation of a presidential council composed of two civilians and one military member to manage a transition phase, which would include forming a constituent assembly, a referendum on a new constitution and the strengthening of political parties before elections.

He said polls should not be held until at least a year from now.