Around 300 UK and international trade unionists have signed a statement condemning recent attacks by the Egyptian military on democratic freedoms. Signatories to the statement include PCS union general secretary Mark Serwotka, teachers’ union leader Christine Blower, and Labour MPs John McDonnell and Katy Clark.

Statement

We note with grave concern recent developments in Egypt including the decision on 14 June 2012 by the Higher Constitutional Court to dissolve parliament and allow the candidate of the old regime, Ahmad Shafiq, to contest the presidential election. The court decision followed the announcement of a law on 13 June 2012 giving military intelligence and police permission to arrest civilians on suspicion of “crimes and misdemeanours harmful to the government,” “resisting orders issued by those in power or assaulting them,” “destruction of public property or historic monuments,” “obstructing traffic,” “strikes at institutions that serve the public interest or assaulting the right to work,” and “intimidation and thuggery.” Then on 17 June the Supreme Council of Armed Forces issued another decree that grants Scaf powers to initiate legislation, control the budget, appoint a panel to draft the new constitution and postponing elections until a new constitution is approved.

This is a military coup designed to wipe out all the gains of the last 18 months. We condemn the assault on democratic freedoms that these decisions represent and declare our support for all Egyptians who are resisting this attempt by the military to restore the old regime.

We also affirm our continued solidarity with the struggle for social justice in Egypt, and in particular with the ongoing efforts to build an independent workers’ movement which can lead the fight for ‘bread, freedom and social justice’. The unity between the social and democratic goals of the revolution which is expressed in this slogan is an inspiration to millions around the world who want to resist the rule of the 1%.

We call on the Egyptian military and civilian authorities to:

• reinstate parliament
• annul the Constitutional Declaration of 17 June
• respect Egyptian citizens’ right to strike, protest and organise independent trade unions

Katy Clark, MP; John McDonnell, MP; Christine Blower, General Secretary, National Union of Teachers (NUT); Mark Serwotka, General Secretary, Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) Jim Barbour Vice-President Fire Brigades Union; Billy Hayes, General Secretary, Communications Workers Union; Jane Loftus, President, Communications Workers Union; Gill George, Health National Committee, Unite; Jackie Turner, London Regional Executive British Medical Association; Clive Bryant, Chair, London and South East PCS; Keith Johnston, Secretary, London & South East PCS; Andy Reid, NEC member, PCS; Kevin McHugh, Deputy President, PCS; Sue Bond, Vice President, PCS; Clive Bryant NEC member, PCS; Lorne Merry, NEC member, PCS;  Dominic McFadden, NEC member, PCS; Andy Jennings, NEC member, PCS; Adam Khalif, NEC member, PCS; Hector Wesley, NEC member, PCS; Zita Holbourne, NEC member, PCS; Paul Williams, NEC member, PCS; Alan Dennis, NEC member, PCS; John Jamieson, NEC member, PCS; Chris Morrison, NEC member, PCS; Marian Lloyd, NEC member PCS; Kevin Greenaway, NEC member, PCS; Helen Flanagan, NEC member, PCS; Cheryl Gedling, NEC member PCS; Ian Pope, NEC member, PCS; Sam Hall, NEC member, PCS; Derek Thomson NEC member, PCS; J. Wilde, NEC member, PCS; M. Derbyshire, NEC member, PCS; K. Walls, NEC member, PCS; N. License, NEC member PCS; G. Siddall-Butchers, NEC member, PCS; Ian Crossland NEC member, PCS; Paula Brown, Vice-President, PCS; John McNally, Vice-President, PCS; Hugh Lanning, Deputy General Secretary, PCS; Janice Godrich, President, PCS; Mark Campbell, UCU National Executive; Tom Hickey, UCU National Executive; Raymond Morrell, Chair, London and Eastern Unite Aerospace and Shipbuilding Industrial Sector Committee, London Underground Engineering Branch, RMT; Nina Power     Defend the Right to Protest, Senior Lecturer Roehampton University; Russ Ball, Stand-down officer UNITE, Coryton Oil Refinery; Mark Everden, UCU; Ciaran Walsh, IWW; Alan Irwin, Ruskin College; Patrick Bradburn, UNITE; Julian Vaughan, UNITE workplace rep; Paris Thompson, UNITE; Gareth Lane, UNITE; Richard Allday, UNITE, RISC chair/ 1914 Branch chair; Steve Guy, UNITE branch officer/shop steward; Terry Hayes, Organiser, Electricians Trade Union, West Australia; Les Mclaughlin, ETU, West Australia, State Secretary; Eliane Edmond, NUS; Aidan Pettitt, BEC, DfE South; Sue Milestone; UNITE, branch secretary; Dave Sewell, NUJ; Ainhoa Jimenez; Ebrahim Tarasol, UNITE; Charles Mwandu, UNITE; Ian Allinson, UNITE Executive Committee; Tracy Walsh, UCU Branch Secretary; Steve Acheson, UNITE, Blacklisted electrician; R. Khan UNITE shop steward; Brett Davis, UNITE, Shop steward; Sai Englert UCU; Segundo Menendez Collar, CSI, Co-ordinator; Ged Dempsey, UNITE National Committee, FoC; Margaret Koller, UNITE NHS, Chair, NW RHISC; Elaine Baptiste, UNITE NHS, Shop steward; Norma Dwelley, UNITE, Health NISC; Jasmin Sharma, UNITE, Staffside Chair NCL; Alex Sayer, UNITE; Sarah Young; UNISON Young members branch officer; Charles Hayes, NUS; Tony Foley, NUT; Philip Girling, Banner Theatre; Alistair Gandrud NASUWT, Birmingham Executive (pc); Joe Davison, Occupy Wall St; Gerry Kelly, NUT, Deputy Divisional Secretary; Tom Holness, IWW; Mhairi McAlpine, IWW; Mirfat Sulaiman; Joyce Lanaan, Birmingham City University; Doug Morgan, Birmingham NUT, Deputy General Secretary (elect); Sarah Teversham, SR; Mike Tucker, UNITE; Rose Hunter, North Staffs Miners Wives Action Group (NSMWAG); Bridget Bell, NSMWAG; Bren Procter, NSMWAG; Hilary McLaren, NSMWAG; Jess Mclaren, NSMWAG; Fred Wisdom, Banner Theatre; Dave Rayer; Annie Gouch-Olaya, Sue Tame, UCU; Brian Sheridan, UNISON; Naeem Malik, UNITE; John Tyrell, NUT; Patrick Highton, Labour Party; Godfrey Welsh, UNITE; Lynn Gregory, retired NUT; Harish Dalal, unemployed; Kamel Hawwash,UCU, M. Loza, UNITE, Westbourne Park Garage, London; Y. Berchamu,  UNITE, Westbourne Park Garage, London; E. Fekak, UNITE, Westbourne Park Garage, London; J. F. Dorego, UNITE, Westbourne Park Garage, London; A. Saleh, UNITE Chair, Westbourne Park Garage, London; Keith Crane, Defra London Vice-Chair, PCS; Austin Harney, Ministry of Justice group executive; Dave Plummer, Revenue and Customs London and South East regional organiser, PCS; Kieran Crowe, TSSA IR rep; Simon Hall, UNISON Gateshead, Publicity Officer; Sean Doyle, HJC; Katrina Raime, SWP; George Binnette, UNISON Camden, Branch Secretary; Jon Hughes, UNISON Steward; Sandy Nicoll, UNISON SOAS branch secretary; Jaswinder Blackwell-Pal, NUS, Palestine Twinning Officer, Goldsmiths SU; Riya Mary Al-Sanah, NUS; Amy Leather; Richard Blackwell, UNISON, Branch Chair, Regional Committee; Karen Reissmann, UNISON National Executive (pc); Caroline Ridgway, UNITE, Co-branch Secretary; Chris Holgate, NUS, QMSU; Sean Doyle, Hillsborough Justice; Joel Hirsch, National Pensioners Convention; Jo Cardwell, UNITE, Rep; Keith Flett, Haringey Trades Council Secretary; Megan Davies, Prospect; K. Humphrey, CWU, Legal and Medical; Adam Collins, USDAW; Steve West, PCS, DWP Group Executive Committee; Michael Dance, NUT, Equalities Officer, Redbridge NUT; Matt Raine, UNISON, Secretary Birmingham University UNISON; Martin Lynch, NUT, Joint Secretary Dudley Division; David Kersey, UNISON; Paul McGoay, PCS rep; Gareth Hill, NUS; Tanya Muat, UNISON steward (pc); Alice Livingstone, NUT; Ian Bradley, UNITE, London and Eastern Branch Treasurer; Jonas Liston, NUS; Jamie Woodcock, NUS National Executive (elect); Phil Brett, NUT, Rep; Mark Thomas, Editor, Socialist Review; Chris Kelly, NUT, Lambeth NUT Executive member; Philip Windeatt, BECTU; Lynne Chamberlain, UCU Branch Chair; Dave Barnes, TSSA, National Rep; C. Henry UNITE Stagecoach; S. Kalam, UNITE Stagecoach; S. Khan, UNITE Stagecoach; J McGill, UNITE Stagecoach; Noorani, UNITE, Stagecoach; R. Hatton, UNITE Stagecoach; D. Stanley, UNITE Stagecoach; Tauseef Akhtar, UNITE Stagecoach; K.Mahmood, UNITE Stagecoach; Gary Shatford, SWP; P. Woodward, SWP; M. Biosah, GGTRA, Secretary; Emy Castelo USDAW rep; Luisana Arnanz; Daniele Manske, UNITE rep; Paul Langdale, UNITE; Naina Kent, UCU Secretary; Mandy Brown, UCU Branch Secretary; S. Kerim, TGWU (ex); Jaouhar Bani, SWP; Mike Killian, UNISON branch officer (pc); M. Bailey, GMB member; D. Wragg, GMB member; B Kay GMB steward; M J Cavell UCU, Leeds Metropolitan University Branch Chair; Tony Hodges UCU, Russell Whincup, PCS; rep; Paul Grist, NUT member; Brian Parkin UCU Branch Committee Member; John Eccles, TSSA member; R. T. Piggott, GMB, Secretary Colchester TUC; Peter Durrant, UNITE; Sheila McGregor, NUT CFGS Rep; Stuart Curlett, BECTU; Richard Garratt, UNISON School steward; Vernetta O’Loughlin, UNISON Steward; Raymond Campbell; Christian Hogsbjerg UCU; M. Patrick UNITE (DCH, National Committee); Jacqueline Lewis, UNISON shop steward (pc); Vicky Brooks, UNISON; Phil Sanderson, Hull Trades Council Secretary; James Kelly UNITE; Gywn Bailey UNITE; Paul Bailey UNITE; Stephen Philip NUT rep; Sabby Sagall, NUJ, PSC, Chair Camden Palestine Solidarity Campaign; Steve Sparks, UNISON, Health and Safety rep; A Brown, UNISON, Shop Steward; Ollie Jones, UNITE, Shop steward; Dave Sherry, UNITE, Branch Secretary, Shop Steward; Matt Smith, NUJ; Henry Rajch, GMB Shop steward Safety rep; Terry McGrath UCU; Satar Rahmani, UCU; John Barber SWP; Hazel Sabey, SWP; Lee Short, UCU Branch Secretary; Dave Gibson UCU; Kate Burland UCU; Gareth Jenkins UCU; Paul Topley NUT; Bettina Trabant, SWP; Iren Aksu, SWP; John Murphy, UCU NW Regional Secretary FE; Jon Woods, SWP and Portsmouth City UNISON Branch Chair; Chris Price, SWP and Portsmouth City UNISON; Deborah Jones, UNISON/SWP; Rosalind Rees SWP; John Rees, SWP Mansfield; Liza Van Zyl, UCU, Wales Vice-Chair; Tomas Evnas SWP, NUJ, UNITE; Marianne Owens, Revenue and Customs Group Executive PCS; Joe Redmond, UNISON; Robert Goddard, GMB; Arthur Good, SWP; William R Rolfe, PCS Branch Secretary; Ben Robinson, UNITE; Suzanne Jeffrey, UCU; Margot Hill, UCU Branch Secretary; Alex Chamberlin, SWP; Steve Hedley, RMT regional organiser; Rachel Harger            Defend the Right to Protest Campaign; Nathan J. Bolton President, University of Essex Students’ Union; Sasha Simic, USDAW Shop Steward – Branch C133, Central Books; Nadine El-Enany, Brunel University, UCU; Nick Grant, NUT NEC; Sally Kincaid; Divisional secretary, Wakefield and district NUT, Jonny Pickering, Public and Commercial Services union (PCS); Maureen Levin; Unison, Nick Wigmore, NUT National Executive, Saleh Mamon, Campaign Against Criminalising Communities, Sarah Chamberlain, Unite; Gareth Dale, UCU, Patricia McManus, UCU Branch Secretary, Brighton; Sean Cumming, Bar and Hospitality Branch Unite (Glasgow); Guifré Bombilà Murillo      member of En lluita (IST organisation in Barcelona, Spain); Yassin Tag; Manal Abedel Aziz Abed; Gabrielle Verdier, Paul Burnham, council tenant, London Borough of Haringey, Pit Becker, Human being, painter; Sean Wallis, branch secretary, UCL UCU; Anna Livingstone, doctor, member of UNITE  and the British Medical Association, James Nowlan, Unite; Dalia Said Mostafa, Lecturer at University of Manchester (UCU member); Tim Evans, National Union of Teachers; Susan McDowell, UCU; Nicola Pratt, UCU, University of Warwick, Elane Heffernan, Hackney College UCU Branch Committee; Martin Empson Manchester City Unison (pc), Lynda Aitken, RMT, Matt Chapman, Amanda Sebestyen, NUJ / Asylum Education & Legal Fund; Michael Letwin Former President, Association of Legal Aid Attorneys/UAW Local 2325;  Ad Hoc Coalition to Defend the Egyptian Revolution (NYC); Labor for Palestine; Dick Reilly, Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism; Cobra Vivolo           Phinney Neighbors for Peace & Justice; Ron Jacobs, Author and journalist; Wayne Heimbach, Evanston, Illinois, Karen Clinkscales; Charlie Kimber, SWP national secretary; Delegates to the British Medical Association Annual Conference 2012: Dr Clive Peedell, Dr Jacky Davis, Co-chairs NHS Consultants Association; Dr Paul Hobday; Dr Jackie Applebee; Dr Wendy Savage, Keep Our NHS Public Chair; Dr Adam Forman, Dr Chris Odedun; Dr Latifa Paul; Dr Gerard Reissman; Dr Amar Latif; Dr Farah Jameel; Dr Natasha Arnold; Dr Coral Jones; Dr Paddy Glackin; Dr Kambiz Boomla; Dr Vishal Sharma. And these medical students, also BMA conference representatives: Khalil Secker; Dilek Tate; Mahdi Abdulla; James Warwick; Samantha Dolan