Trade unions around the world will join a Day of Action for Democracy in Egypt on Feb. 8. Union members are joining with community and human rights groups to organize rallies at Egyptian embassies. They will continue to press their governments to demand democratic transition in Egypt and to ensure that those responsible for the violent repression of peaceful demonstrations are brought to justice.

Sharan Burrow, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), says:

We will continue to push the international community to put pressure on the regime of Hosni Mubarak to respect the wishes of the Egyptian people. Our support for Egypt’s independent trade unions and the other forces for democracy is unwavering, and we are determined that there shall be no impunity for the people responsible for the killings, assaults and intimidation of innocent people.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka reaffirmed the global union movement’s determination to end the violence and bring democracy to Egypt and sends a message of support to the Egyptian people (video, above). His video message is among those from union leaders around the world.  

In a letter to Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, Trumka said the United States government must“urgently intervene” to protect the lives of the thousands of Egyptian protestors. He repeated the ITUC’s demand for Mubarak to call off the security forces attacking innocent Egyptian citizens.    

Trumka urged Clinton “in the strongest terms” to

assert the full influence of the American government with the Egyptian government to stop the violence and stand with the Egyptian people in this moment of crisis.

The desire by Egyptian workers to have their own voices through their unions played a key role in laying the groundwork for the protests, says Samer Shehata, a professor at Georgetown University. In an interview with Laura Flanders at GRITtv, Shehata says that although workers are not leading the current protests, they set the stage with a tsunami of economic and labor protests beginning in 2004.

The independent Egyptian union movement has gained support around the world. Last year the AFL-CIO presented the George Meany-Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award to two Egyptian union leaders.