Unions played an essential role in Tunisian revolt‏

'The trade unions (al-niqabat) played an essential role, and were among those demanding the departure of the president. You don’t get massive crowds like the one in Tunis without a lot of workers joining in. There are few labor correspondents any longer, and the press downplays the role of workers as a result of neither having good sources among them nor an adequate understanding of the importance of labor mobilization.

'It is no accident that on Wednesday the head of the Communist workers movement was arrested (he has been released)' reports Guernica magazine on the popular uprising which led to the President's overthrow:
http://www.guernicamag.com/blog/2290/juan_cole_the_first_middle_eas/

Earlier in the week the British TUC had joined interntational calls for an end to violent repression of anti Government demonstrations: http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/tuc-19000-f0.cfm