New Federation of Egyptian Trade Unions announced in Cairo

Date: Sunday, 30 January 2011

Today, representatives of the Egyptian labor movement, made up of the independent Egyptian trade unions of workers in real estate tax collection, the retirees, the technical health professionals and representatives of the important industrial areas in Egypt: Helwan, Mahalla al-Kubra, the tenth of Ramadan city, Sadat City and workers from the various industrial and economic sectors such as: garment & textiles, metals industry, pharmaceuticals, chemical industry, government employees, iron and steel, automotive, etc... agreed to hold a press conference at 3:30pm this afternoon in Tahrir Square next to Omar Effendi Company store in downtown Cairo to announce the organization of the new Federation of Egyptian Trade Unions and to announce the formation of committees in all factories and enterprises to protect, defend them and to set a date for a general strike. And to emphasize that the labor movement is in the heart and soul of the Egyptian Peoples' revolution and its emphasis on the support for the six requirements as demanded by the Egyptian People's Revolution. To emphasize the economic and democratic demands voiced by the independent labor movement through thousands of strikes, sit-ins and protests by Egyptian workers in the past years.

Translation of original in Arabic into English. We understand Mr. Mustapha Mungy, Vice-President of the ETUF remains in detention although further details are sparse as CTUWS website remains partially blocked by the outgoing regime.

No Sweat call for an end to repression in Egypt and ask that the people's wishes for freedom and self-determination are recognised by both the current regime and those international governments and businesses that make it their business to intefere in such matters.