Links: Workers' and Trade Union Involvement in Egyptian Uprising

While the exciting events in Egypt make headline news, the mainstream media do not tell us much about workers' and trade union involvement. So I have compiled this selection of links:

• Up-to-the-minute workers' movement news and reports about Egypt on LabourStart website
  
• Center for Trade Union and Workers' Services (the site appears in Arabic; to see the English version, click the drop-down menu, top left)
  
• February 8: the day for Egyptian workers
  
• Article by TUC International Officer, Owen Tudor: New Egyptian Trade Unions Play Their Part
  
• Press release announcing new trade union federation in Egypt
  
• Founding declaration of new trade union federation
  
• ITUC Supports General Strike Call and Welcomes New Independent Trade Union Federation (International Trade Union Confederation)
  
• Egypt's workers strike for democracy and rights, from the AFL-CIO (US equivalent of the TUC) website
  
• This 2009 survey of violations of trade union rights by the ITUCdetails the close relationship between the official unions and the regime, and the legal curtailing of the right to independent, effective trade unionism
  
• Egyptian workers start to move, from Workers' Liberty website
  
• Video: Striking Egyptian Workers Fuel the Uprising After 10 Years of Labor Organizing

Go now Mubarak

So, what exactly did he say ?

Well, he isn't going . Not yet, not until September .

The speech that droned on about commissions blah blah , amendments blah blah , how he has listened , sons of Egypt (err, what about the daughters)and playing the nationalist card.

Oh and lots about bleeding heart and fake concern for those who died while protesting. He will make those responsible accountable . Well that shouldn't take long, look in the mirror.

Oh and its not about him he said. Well yes and no, but the people clearly are calling FOR HIM to go. No in that a bit of tinkering is not enough, real change is needed when he goes .

A very out of touch speech, sickly and repetitive . Bottom line , some bollocks about listening, transition and that he is going nowhere till September.

That was the second nauseating thing I have had to listen to today . Earlier was subjected to the torture that is Coldplay, while being put on hold by a bank. Still at least Chris Martin isn't in charge of a nation.

The response from the people, whose expectations have been dashed seems to be growing anger and a determination not to give up.

The protesters include young and old, men and women and different religions and none . Strikes are happening and building .My fear though is off increased violence by the state .

Time to go Mubarak.

Women of Egypt

Tunisia and Egypt: "l'héroïsme ordinaire des femmes"

Click here for photos on Le Monde website of women in the Tunisian uprising.

If you are on Facebook, click here for women taking part in the mass protests in Egypt.

The Day of Anger ... The Egyptians' Day

This article is from the website of the Centre for Trade Union and Workers' Services in Egypt. A small drop-down menu at the top left enables you to read the English version of the site if you need to.

The Day of Anger … the Egyptians’ Day
Freedom … Justice … Dignity

Center for Trade Union and Workers Services “CTUWS”, 26 January 2011: Egypt witnessed yesterday (Tuesday, 25 January) the biggest popular protests since the “Bread Protests” of 18 and 19 January 1977.

Tens of thousands of Egyptians in Cairo, Alexandria, Mehalla, Suez, Ismailia, Kafr el Sheikh, Giza, Port Said, Fayoum and other governorates protested against the deteriorating economic conditions represented by the widespread of poverty (as more than 42% of the Egyptians live under the poverty line according to the United Nations statistics), the rising rate of unemployment and the soaring prices. Protestors called for political reforms and for dissolving the People’s Assembly (the Parliament) which came as a result of fake elections last November.

A number of protest movements and political powers seeking change called the Egyptians to come out to the streets on 25 January which coincides with the Egyptian Police Day.

Hundreds of thousands of citizens responded to the call of the political movements in Cairo and in several Egyptian cities on the Day of Anger to send a warning message to the regime to conduct immediate political and economic changes.

The “CTUWS” condemns using force to disperse the protestors who expressed their fair demands in a peaceful manner. Four citizens were killed, tens of citizens were injured and several hundreds were arrested in several Egyptian cities. The “CTUWS” calls for prosecution of the officials responsible for killing the four citizens and causing injury to other protestors. Meanwhile, the CTUWS calls for releasing all the arrested protestors.

The “CTUWS” warns against ignoring the demands of the Egyptian people. Any negligence, procrastination or handling these protests as a foreign conspiracy will cause more congestion and will increase the complexity of the situation.

The national duty implies that the government should listen to the demands of the protestors and to conduct real social dialogue with all the political powers and the civil society organizations. The dialogue should reach obliging realistic steps to get out of the crisis and to secure real democratic transformation of the Egyptian political system.

Egypt

Had a bit of trouble opening this, but seems to work now .Check out live coverage of the protests unfolding in Egypt.

Looks like it won't be long before Mubarak does a runner .