Egyptian Workers Hold Key to Uprising, New Union Association Issues Call for General Strike

Egyptian Workers Hold Key to Uprising, New Union Association Issues Call for General Strike
By: Jeff Kaye
January 31, 2011

While much analysis has focused on the youth-social network driven aspects of the recent uprising in Egypt, or on diplomatic and political maneuvers that thus far have left President Mubarak in office, and given even more power to the state repressive apparatus through the appointment of Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman to the Vice Presidency, it is the Egyptian working class that holds the future of its country in its hands.

While the organized workers movement saw its unions gutted by state privatization and the gutting of union independence though the hated Law No. 100, which guaranteed that union representation would be strongly controlled by the state, recent events, particularly in strategic Suez, have shown that when the social weight of the workers is thrown into the balance, even all the machinations of Hillary Clinton’s State Department will not be able to patch together Mubarak’s state apparatus. The question then will be, what will follow it?

Barely reported in the West, among the crowds at Tahrir Square last Sunday, a new trade union confederation was announced, the Federation of Egyptian Trade Unions (FETU), which immediately issued a call for a general-strike. The call has been widely taken up, and many reports now link the uprising to unity with the workers, particularly in Suez, where the battle has been fought most intensely with state police. The new confederation has the support of the International Trades Union Confederation and the AFL-CIO.

The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that the general strike call initiated from workers in Suez. Whoever initiated it, the new trade union organizations are jumping on board.

http://my.firedoglake.com/valtin/2011/01/31/egyptian-workers-hold-key-to-uprising-new-union-association-issues-call-for-general-strike/


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Booming city of Suez microcosm of Egypt's anger
Associated Press
January 27, 2011

SUEZ, Egypt (AP) — Orderly blocks of factory workers' apartments rose along wide, well-maintained roads over the last decade as Egypt's growing economy boosted the fortunes of this flourishing port city.

But even in a city known for its growing middle class, people say improvements have benefited only a small and well-connected elite, leaving the majority struggling to find money for food and housing. Anger over that imbalance has erupted on the streets more violently in Suez than virtually anywhere else in Egypt, leaving at least three people dead and dozens injured.

Mostafa Khaled, 21, said he wasn't looking forward to graduating from school this year, even in a city where 100 factories produce everything from steel to fabrics, generating $5 billion a year in tax revenue for the national government.

"Suez brings in the highest profit of all the cities in Egypt to the country and yet look at us - we are close to begging. We have no jobs, we scrounge to feed our families," Khaled said. "We don't want Mubarak, we don't want this government, we want our basic human rights."

Read the full article at:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jQnGFc0X9ipjFeEcOFEtjhXotJ7Q?docId=2699432c3375430eb5140a5f6bbdd081


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Egyptian trade union leaders speak out for free trade unions and economic justice in Egypt

Egypt’s Workers Struggle to Keep Unions Free
by James Parks, Aug 9, 2010

This week, the AFL-CIO honored the courageous men and women of the Egyptian workers’ movement with the prestigious George Meany-Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award, the first time the U.S. union movement has honored a workers’ organization from the Middle East.

The award was accepted by Kamal Abbas, general coordinator of the Center for Trade Union and Worker Services (CTUWS) and Kamal Abu Eita, president of the Independent General Union of Real Estate Tax Authority Workers (IGURETA), the first independent trade union in Egypt in more than 50 years.


AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker congratulates Kamal Abbas, left, and Kamal Abu Eita. The two accepted the Meany-Kirkland Award on behalf of Egypt’s trade union movement.

http://blog.aflcio.org/2010/08/09/egypts-workers-struggle-to-keep-unions-free/



Remarks by Kamal Abu 'Eita, Independent General Union of Real Estate Tax Authority Workers (IGURETA)

Ladies and Gentlemen, Brothers and Sisters:

I came from Egypt, part of the Pan-Arab world, Egypt that had the first ever recorded strike in history, by the builders of the pyramids more than five thousand years ago. Given that human history is nothing but a continuing series of circles of communication -- our celebration of International Workers Day on the first of May is the anniversary of a famous strike in Chicago.

With the increasing labor strikes in Egypt, a quantum leap has taken place in terms of the independent workers’ movement! It has become more than just the economic and social demands to the democratic struggle in the hands of the workers themselves away from any tutelage of the political party or group or government at home or abroad. Built by brave workers in property taxes division, the first independent union in Egypt from the womb of a successful general strike led to increase in our income to more than 400%. Members of this union are now 40,000 strong thousand out of 47,000 total work force in this sector. It is the highest trade union representation in Egypt and may be even in the world.

This was achieved despite of a fierce war waged by the government to use union-busting tools supported by all non-union factions but the will of independence became a fortress, a fortress that stands in the face of attempts of demolition and containment.

Allow me to convey to you the greetings of all of my colleagues, who are so happy that they have been awarded your Award, as an expression of the struggles of our working people in Egypt and in the Arab world. Be confident that this Award --- is a moral support is of such a high level that will continue to help and support us. The recognition by the Public Services International (Global Union Federation – PSI) of our new trade union and the acceptance of our application of affiliation is another sign of support. In addition, our invitation to the Annual Conference of the International Labour Organization, and our presence was based on deliberations and consensus by our executive board further confirms our legitimacy.

Brothers and sisters. Now, our hands and arms are extended and ready to embrace any noble humanitarian effort that is intended to build a more humane globalization that sets the values of justice and equality as the building blocks, and returns the value to our work. To strive together for decent wages and to build independent trade unions so we can stand together against the savage globalization highly armed, equipped and backed by the multinational companies.

To unite all workers so that workers do not pay the bill for the financial crisis and to ensure that those who created it – PAY! For cleaning it up!

Long live our common struggle for fair and just industrial relations!

Long live the struggle of workers in Egypt, Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon and all the workers in the world -- in order to establish and solidly affirm the values of justice and equality.

Remarks by Kamal 'Abbas, Center for Trade Union and Workers Services (CTUWS)

Ladies and Gentlemen: Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Let me first extend my thanks to the AFL-CIO and express on behalf of CTUWS our deep appreciation for this award and bestowing this prize upon us and for this wonderful message of solidarity to the Egyptian workers movement.

Secondly, please allow me to deliver the message from the Egyptian workers, although I have not been appointed as their official representative. However, I ask you to recognize their message, as they are- in Egypt- sending it clearly and strongly. There they are- now- approaching the future, beating on its doors with their strong hands, raising flags of freedom and chanting songs of hope.

The Egyptian workers movement, which emerged prior to the twentieth century, strived from the beginning to promote the agreed upon gallant values of labour solidarity, and learned how to sustain its independence and develop its democratic unions. This movement that has stood by its historical lessons and concepts despite the years of coercion and obstruction, and has broken the chains, released its feet and started moving along the banks of the Nile.

With every new day - for more than forty-five months- Egyptian workers have delivered a new message; “we are not gears in a machine spoiled by misuse”…. “we are not cheap goods supplied to attract investments, we are not goods accumulated in markets, so their prices are devalued and their esteem debased” … “we are human beings, entitled to a decent living… entitled to freedom, justice and equality. “

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

The Center for Trade Union and Workers Services - my organization- was born from the womb of the Egyptian labour movement as a reflection of a growing democratic trend which adopted the call for Egyptian workers’ right to freedom of association. This trend took the initiative to develop the necessary tools for the movement outside the official trade union organization whose apparent separation from the body of workers was leaving a considerable vacuum and the needs of workers left unfulfilled grew.

Thus, a number of worker activists and leaders of the movements took the initiative-in March 1990- to establish the CTUWS where the workers could find support both individually and collectively. In the following years, this nascent organization developed and expanded to fill the gap produced by the failure of the official trade union federation to become a forum for a democratic workers movement whose primary role is to empower the independent activities of the movement and assist the development of its discourse, concepts and direction. From day to day, the CTUWS came to represent an alternative voice for Egyptian workers and their movement.

Throughout these years, the CTUWS faced a multitude of immense challenges, obstacles and risks which it had to pay as the price for “swimming against the current”. However, despite these challenges it was able to fulfill much of the requirements of the labour movement. It developed its experiences and capacities. Its activities extended from Cairo to the governorates of the Delta in the north and the governorates of Upper Egypt in the south. Its diversified services included training, legal support, and lobbying campaigns; and it gained considerable credibility at both the national and international levels.

The biggest challenge that CTUWS faced came during the early months of 2007, when CTUWS was subject to a series of unprecedented governmental assaults and oppressive measures. All of its offices, located in Helwan, Al Mahalla, Naji Hamady and Tenth of Ramadan City were closed by force. Nevertheless, the CTUWS activists continued throughout this period to work to uphold their rights and demand them with full confidence. They organized large scale campaigns on the national and international levels, using all the tools available to them: such as legal defense, lobbying, protest demonstrations and delegations to influential organizations.
Finally-after 14 months- their campaign was successful and the CTUWS regained its long sought rights; all of its offices were reopened, and it resumed its activities.

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

While I am honored to accept your prize today in the capacity of a representative of CTUWS, I promise that the Egyptian workers, who are inspired by this act of international labour solidarity, will be told about your message of solidarity.

I declare, in the name of CTUWS and its fighter activists, to face the challenges and continue the work for the right of the Egyptian workers to freely organize independent unions.

http://www.solidaritycenter.org/content.asp?contentid=1094

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