The global union movement is demanding Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak immediately stop the violence being organized by his regime against peaceful demonstrators, including children and thousands of trade unionists.

Representatives of the Egyptian union movement announced they are forming a new labor federation, the Federation of Egyptian Trade Unions, which will represent workers in more than a dozen industries and  enterprises. The federation also plans to set a date for a nationwide general strike for democracy and fundamental rights. Many people believe the labor demonstrations in the past two years played a significant role in giving Egyptian citizens  courage to stand up to the government.

On the same day the International Labor Organization warned that worldwide unemployment is still a crisis, the global union movement issued a statement calling on participants in the World Economic Forum to keep their focus on jobs.

As the world’s top business and government leaders gather in Davos, Switzerland, for the annual economic forum, the International Labor Organization (ILO) today released a new report showing that despite some improvements in the global economy, unemployment remains at crisis levels. Some 205 million people worldwide are officially unemployed. That doesn’t count the millions more who have given up looking for work or who are working part-time when they want to work full-time. 

The global union movement is reaffirming its strong support for the General Tunisian Workers’ Union (UGTT) and the Tunisian people in their courageous struggle for equality, social justice, political freedom and democracy.

The global union movement came together in Washington, D.C., last week to kick off a joint initiative to help workers at multinational companies join unions.

Members of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the Council of Global Unions met with U.S. union leaders to discuss support for international organizing campaigns. Much of their help is directed at the United States, where workers’ rights now lag far behind other industrialized nations. They also met with senior officials of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF).

More than 90 trade union leaders from all parts of the world met this week in Washington, D.C., with senior officials of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to push for continuing economic stimulus to jump-start the global economy.