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.

Iraq government reverses wage cut after strikes

http://www.uslaboragainstwar.org/article.php?=1&cache=0&id=17042

Baghdad electricity workers rally

Thousands of electricity workers took to the street on September 16, 2008 in Firdaws Square in Baghdad in a demonstration called and led by the General Federation of Workers' Councils and Unions in Iraq (GFWCUI), represented by Subhi Albadry, President of GFWCUI, and the Labor Movement Unifying Bureau, represented by Hassan Jumaa, president.
This event came as a result of the current situations as regards infrastructure (electricity that is given to people about one hour a day in particular). The workers came from different parts of Iraq to denounce the government's performance, especially that of the minister of electricity; the corruption and the neglect of this sector and its employees by the current government; as well as the banning of freedom of association.
Although the security forces were surrounding the area where the event took place, and prevented many other workers from joining the rally, the participants were able to voice their demands that were:
1. The dismissal of the Minister of Electricity Karim Wahid and his inner-circle
2. Bringing all corrupt officials and employees to justice
3. Hiring professional staff who are immune from sectarianism
4. The return of the political prisoners to their jobs
5. Giving the workers who are on contract a permanent position.
The Labor Movement Unifying Bureau consists of General Union of Oil Workers, General Union of Electricity Workers, the Union of Rail Workers and GFWCUI. It was formed in 2007, headed by Hassan Jumaa and his vice president Abuwatan, as a step towards unifying as many unions as possible to form a confederation that include all workers in Iraq.

Demonstration: Hands off Kurdish asylum seekers!

the international federation of iraqi refugees and coalition to stop deportations to iraq are holding a joint lobby to protest at the uk home office’s continuing policy of forcible deportations to iraq.

lobby of the home office, 2 marsham st, london, westminster/st james’ park, thursday 11 september, 12.30 – 14.30

the families of hussein ali and muhammed hussein will be attending the lobby: hussein ali committed suicide days after being forcibly returned to kurdistan on 7 august. muhammad hussein died of cancer following six years of struggle to gain refugee status in the uk.