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ITUC Calls: Lights and Shadows
I am delighted to see the ITUC call for solidarity with the workers and people of Egypt. I will be watching UBook and the ITUC to see what kind of response there is. I would, however, like to make some points:
The slogan 'Transition Now!' and the following statement come over as remarkably reserved, bearing in mind that even the Muslim Brothers are calling for Mubarak to go now. In the light, indeed of the video statements of ITUC leaders, this statement seems to rather echo that of liberal elites (who wish the transition to be to them) than what is coming up out of the streets (I don't know about the new unions or the workplaces).
I notice, secondly, the remarkable absence of the name or face of Ofer Eini, leader of the Israeli union confederation, Histadrut. Israel is, of course, a neighbour of Egypt, Histadrut claims to endorse ITUC principles and Eini is an elected officer of one of the governing committees of the ITUC. It would be interesting to know whether he was at the Brussels meeting the endorsed the call and where the videos were made. And that, if he was, what position he might have taken in discussions.
Maybe Comrade Vavi of Cosatu, which has taken strong positions on Palestine self-determination, and which has criticised ITUC Congress procedures, could let us know about this?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Andrew Casey on -
I can't answer your question about Brother Eini, don't know whether he was there, though I am fairly sure I saw a notation on ITUC website that Brother Sa'ed from the PGFTU was at the ITUC meeting and voted for the ITUC position.
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Permalink Reply by peter waterman on -
Thanx, Andrew, but for me this leaves still unanswered a number of questions:
1. Why do we not simply know from the ITUC website who is present at such meetings, what was discussed and who took what positions? We have been developing such procedures for the International Council of the World Social Forum.
2. What is the position of Ofer Eini, as a leading elected officer of the ITUC, on Egypt, and that of the Histadrut as a member of the ITUC in a country neighbouring Egypt?
3. Why did that statement of the ITUC on Egypt, 'Transition Now', sound more like the Ban Ki Moon (?), Barak Obama and David Cameron, than what has been coming out of Freedom Square in Cairo? Why, indeed, did it sound less forthright than the individual statements of the various national union officers in the accompanying video?
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