New leftist parties formed in Egypt

The Daily News Egypt reports that on 25 February: "labor leaders from independent labor syndicates and workers' groups agreed on starting legal procedures for establishing the "Labor Democratic Party" and approved its primary founding statement.

Al-Nasr Coke Company workers demand bosses are sacked

Workers from Al-Nasr Company for Coke and Chemicals in Helwan, Egypt, started a strike on 28 February to call for the dismissal of their board of directors, the punishment of officials who caused the company's decline, and economic concessions, reports Al Masry Al Youm.

Tunisia: Ghannouchi resigns

A Tunisian socialist, Fathi Chamkhi, comments (27 February) on the website of France's New Anti-Capitalist Party, on the resignation of Mohammed Ghannouchi, prime minister of Tunisia's transitional government. Excerpts translated below.

Protests across Iraq on 25 February

According to Al Jazeera English: An unprecedented lockdown of Iraq's capital failed to deter thousands of Iraqis from protesting, serving notice that the anti-government rage sweeping the Middle East will not be easily extinguished in Baghdad.

Libyan rebels rebuff fundamentalists

Juan Cole reports: "People in the liberated eastern cities often wore traditional Libyan dress on Friday, according to al-Sharq al-Awsat, as a way of refuting Qaddafi’s charges that the rebels were radical Muslim fundamentalists (who have their own style of dress, some of it influenced by Afghan fashion or Saudi plainness)" - www.juancole.com.

Campaign in USA for solidarity with Egypt's workers

Labor for Egypt Statement, February 23, 2011

Egyptian workers continue to press for independent unions

According to the English language website of Al Masry Al Youm, Egyptian workers across the country have been demanding the establishment of trade unions and professional syndicates/associations that are democratically elected, accountable and recallable.

Egyptian writer calls for move against neo-liberalism

Writing on Al Jazeera, "Abu Atris", a pen-name for a writer in Egypt, argues that:

A large element of what got enough people into the streets to finally overwhelm the state security forces was economic grievances that are intrinsic to neoliberalism.

25 February: Iraq's "day of rage"

Al Jazeera English reports: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/2011224192028229471.html

Syrian regime harasses anti-Qaddafi demonstrators, makes economic concessions

The Assad regime in Syria is clamping down even on small demonstrations supporting the people of Libya against Qaddafi. At the same time it is doling out economic concessions. The combination suggests a regime in fear of working-class upheavals.

"Revolution fuels Egypt labour movement"...

... So reports Al Ahram Online: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/6383.aspx.

Another survey: http://www.unionbook.org/profiles/blogs/the-egyptian-uprising-and.

Report on outcome of Mahalla strike

The Los Angeles Times has a detailed story of the outcome of the strike at the huge Misr Spinning & Weaving Co. factory in Mahalla, Egypt, confirming earlier reports that the workers won real concessions.

Independent trade unionists in Egypt protest at nomination of new minister of manpower

The Centre for Trade Union and Workers' Services, a group which played an important role in the recent launch of a new independent trade union federation in Egypt, has called for protests against the appointment of an official from the old state-run "union" to be minister of manpower and immigration.

Saudi construction workers' strike continues for second day in Makkah

According to the Arab News website, over 600 construction workers employed by a major construction company on a project close to the Grand Mosque in Makkah continued their strike for a second successive day on Monday.

The workers, working on the King Abdul Aziz Endowment Project and the Grand Mosque’s northern courtyard expansion project, have gone on strike after not being paid their salaries for two months. They are also demanding better work conditions.

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article277886.ece

Egyptian journalists demand editors resign

According to Al Ahram Online: Journalists at state-run newspapers held a protest on Sunday at the Press Syndicate demanding the resignation of their editors-in-chief and a change in their papers’ editorial policies.

The journalists, who also accuse their editors and upper management of corruption and demand their investigation, have been stung into action by their papers’ coverage of the events leading up to the former president’s resignation, and the glaring editorial shift immediately after....

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/6040.aspx.

Discontent with government in Egypt

According to the Daily News Egypt, activists there are dissatisfied with the rumoured shape of the new cabinet of ministers due to be announced soon to work with the army council which has replaced president Mubarak.

Power workers strike in Egypt

Despite the army's warnings to strikers to return to work, the strike movement in Egypt is continuing, with strikes in seven power stations.

Solidarity demonstrations in Cairo

Al Ahram Online reports (21 February) on people in Cairo demonstrating in solidarity with the people of Algeria, Bahrain, and Libya.

People's uprising in Libya

Juan Cole summarises the situation as of 21 February:

After the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi fell to the protest movement on Sunday [20th], clashes broke out in the Libyan capital of Tripoli late that afternoon, the first time that city saw substantial demonstrations.

Bahrain's unions call for general strike

The General Federation of Bahraini Trade Unions (GFBTU) has called for a general strike on Monday 21 February if the country's monarch does not back down.

Background on rural Egypt

Although Egypt has urbanised fast in recent decades, it is still only 45% urbanised, as against 66% in Tunisia or 55% in Syria.

New protests in Sulaimaniya (Iraqi Kurdistan)

Undaunted by the killing of two people and the wounding of at least 47 in protests on Thursday 17th, the people of Sulaimaniya, in Iraqi Kurdistan, took to the streets again on Sunday 20th.

Mahalla strike ends: workers claim victory

According to Ahram Online, workers at Egypt's largest factory ended a strike and went back to work on Sunday 20th.

Egypt's military regime moves against strikes

Reuters reported on 19 February: "Egypt's military this weekend warned workers using their new-found freedom to protest over pay that strikes must stop, in a move that businessmen said on Saturday could have come sooner.

Coke workers on strike (Egypt)

Egypt, CTUWS, February 16, 2011, 4 pm: nearly 3500 workers of Coke Company in Helwan announce their strike, seeking mainly for changing the basic wage of newly appointed workers just like Iron and Steel workers, and rising retirement reward.

Mahalla strikers join independent union movement

Declaration by the Striking Workers of Misr Spinning and Weaving Company in Mahalla, 16 February.

"Egypt Workers' Solidarity" campaign launched

A new committee, focused on supporting the new workers' movement in Egypt, was launched at a meeting in London on 17 February. Check it out here.

Army moves on Baghdad's Tahrir Square

The Iraqi Freedom Congress reported on 16 February that the Iraqi army had surrounded demonstrations in Baghdad's Tahrir Square, beat demonstrators, and stormed an opposition TV station.

Demonstrators shot and killed in Iraqi Kurdistan

The democratic rebellion in the Middle East has spread to Iraqi Kurdistan, where protesters in Sulaimaniya on Thursday 17th chanted: "Do you remember Mubarak?" The authorities responded with gunfire, killing two and injuring 47.

As of Friday 18 February, activists of the Worker-communist Party of Kurdistan are running a round-the-clock protest outside the Kurdistan Regional Government London office at 8th Floor, Winchester House, 259-269 Old Marylebone Road NW1 5RA (Edgware Road Tube), and there are unconfirmed reports of martial law being imposed across Iraqi Kurdistan.

Al Ahram and Al Masry Al Youm report on Mahalla strike

Wednesday 16 February: About 20,000 workers in Al-Mahalla Al-Kobra, more than 100 kilometres north of Cairo, relaunched a strike after a three-day break in the largest spinning and weaving factory in Egypt, reports Al Ahram.

Strike movement continues in Egypt; video clip on the strikes

Juan Cole reports:

Workers strike brings Cairo-Alexandria road to standstill

A protest by workers brought traffic to a standstill on the Cairo to Alexandria road forcing the army to intervene. (Ahram Online, Wednesday 16 Feb 2011).

Egyptian workers demand assets of state-run "union" body be handed over

Around 500 workers and labor activists congregated outside the state-controlled Egyptian Trade Union Federation (ETUF) on Monday [14 February] to demand the federation’s dissolution. [Report from Al Masry Al Youm English edition].

Egypt: more reports of working-class action on Monday 14 February

The Daily News Egypt reported on Tuesday 15 February about continuing working-class action on Monday 14 February.

Egyptian army: "culture of obedience", strong links with business

The character of Egypt's armed forces: analysis from Globalsecurity.org.

RMT condemns Egyptian military threat to ban strikes

Commenting on news reports that the Egyptian military might attempt to ban strikes or trade union meetings that might lead to them, RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said (14 February):

Monday 14 February: army calls on strikers to return to work, but seems to stop short for now of formal ban on strikes

It appears from Reuters reports on Monday 14 February that, for now at least, the army command has appealed to strikers to return to work, but not issued the formal ban on union meetings and strikes which army spokespeople had talked of over the weekend.

Egyptian army threatens to ban strikes and union meetings, and clear Tahrir Square

Reuters news agency reported on Sunday 13 February that "an Egyptian army source" has said that a ban on strikes and union meetings would be decreed on Monday 14th.

Meeting to set up a UK solidarity campaign

Solidarity with Egyptian workers: meeting to set up a UK solidarity campaign. 6.30pm, Thursday 17 February, 2011.

Trade unions: the "revolutionary social network"

In an excellent article in yesterday's Guardian, Eric Lee of LabourStart and Benjamin Weinthal bring to the fore the role played by the trade unions in both Tunisia and Egypt.

Rather than Iran, Lee and Weinthal point to Poland in 1980 as a suitable parallel for today's protests in Egypt, where the growth of independent trade union, Solidarnosc, led to the complete collapse of the Stalinist state machine.

Independent labor protests fuel Egypt's Tahrir uprising

Egyptian newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm has an interesting article on how the sweeping labour protests in Cairo and beyond are turning what had initially been a Tahrir-specific uprising to a nationwide revolution.

Professionals, workers and employees across the nation staged protests demanding better working conditions this week, with growing momentum. Some are first-timers, while others demonstrated before. Yet they all gathered on the basis that the time is ripe for such moves.

Some of the strikes, according to the article, have strictly economic demands and have gone out of their way to describe themselves as "having nothing to do with" the pro-democracy campaign, while others have added demands for regime change to their industry-specific economic demands.

Strikes in Helwan and El Mahalla

The Center for Trade Union and Workers' Services (CTUWS) reports strikes spreading in Helwan and El Mahalla on 11 February.

Direct appeal for solidarity from Egyptian union

An appeal from Kamal Abu Aita, president of the Independent Property Tax Collectors' Union of Egypt, RETAU: "We want trade union solidarity, not solidarity from international governments".

Call for Egypt-type uprising against Hamas in Gaza

According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, people in Gaza have made a Facebook call for an Egypt-type uprising against the Hamas regime there.

Both Palestinian Authority and Hamas repress demonstrations in solidarity with the people of Egypt

According to Human Rights Watch, both the Palestinian Authority, in the West Bank, and Hamas, in Gaza, have used police to suppress demonstrations in solidarity with the people of Egypt.

12 February 2011: TUC demonstration in solidarity with the people of Egypt

Saturday 12 February 2011, 12pm to 2pm. Trafalgar Square, London.

"Workers must form committees"

Tamer Fathy, International Relations Secretary of the Centre for Trade Union and Workers’ Services, has described Egypt's new union federation in an interview with the socialist newspaper Solidarity.

Egypt's workers begin to move

In Egypt, Tahrir Square has become a symbol for grass-roots democratic organisation, with mass movements holding daily plebiscites on strategy and programme, with an unquenchable thirst for political discussion, and a vibrant sense of the power of ordinary people when they lose their fear. Local communities, in the absence of the police, have organised their own defence.

Tunisia: new government tries to calm revolt

In Tunisia, strikes are continuing, notably in transport, the national airline and among agency workers. Workers at the national radio station are protesting against the appointment of new management without any kind of negotiation or consultation.

Algeria: "opposition must link democratic and social demands"

President Bouteflika announced some liberalisation measures after riots over the price of food in January in which five people died. But protests have continued. A man tried to set himself alight during a protest outside Algeria’s Employment Ministry for “a decent job for every Algerian” and unemployment benefit equal to half the minimum wage. The protest was organised by a group called the National Committee for the Rights of the Unemployed.

Morocco: workers' militancy and monarch's fears

Last year saw significant strikes in many sectors, including a general strike across the public sector in March which paralysed much of the economy. Three trade union federations (the Moroccan Labour Union, the Democratic Labour Federation, and the National Union of Moroccan Workers) called the strike, which was the culmination of months of escalating strikes by public sector workers over public sector pay.