Happy May Day ya shabab…
I received some queries from friends and readers about the “Free Union of Egyptian Workers,” announced by Al-Masry Al-Youm, which is supposedly holding a May Day “symbolic” protest in Tahrir Sq. today and in “15 other provinces,” according to the paper’s report. (UPDATE NOV07: The hyperlink is pointing to another article now. I’m gonna try to locate the original article again online)
I don’t know if I should laugh or cry over Al-Masry Al-Youm’s sensationalist headlines… 15 provinces?! A national union?! I know a couple of activists who are involved in this project, and indeed “symbolic” action will be the best they can get. Despite my sincere wishes for their success, I’m afraid they do not have grass-root support. And there’s no way in hell they could organize (even “symbolic”) protests in 15 provinces.
Free and parallel associations can NOT parachute in from above. You do not announce a national labor union, and then descend on the working class opening the door for membership, expecting the workers will flock in. It works the other way around: You start establishing local union committees in a factory, two or three, and then you evolve into a national structure.
There are currently several initiatives (other than the elitist one mentioned above) in activist and labor circles about how to take the movement forward. I’ll try to post something about them in the near future.
More later…