Despite threats and intimidation by the Stalinist bosses. millions of workers in Poland are continuing in ten gent to democrac alan Starting on January 10, a series of strikes swept the country from the Baltic ports of Gdansk, Gdynia and Szszecin to Warsaw and southeastern Silesia.
The actions followed a decision ny deemes 0 011 - The independent union movement - calling for a 5-day, 40-hour workweek for its members. January 10 was the first Saturday off.
DISASTER Both the Polish government and the Moscow press have charged that a 40-hour work week would have a disastrous ettect on the economy. reducing production by 12%. Warsee cr co cock vag workers a day's pay if they went ahead - although Solidarity has stated it will extend the strike action if this is carried out.
Solidarity's goal, however, is not an arbitrary cut in the workweek regardless of the cost to the economy. As one Solidarity spokesperson out it: "The stand of the government and Solidarity should not be ucatco a a contronator but as a first stage leading to an Lech Walesa - Polish strike leader agreement.
"If Solidarity gets information snowing tne entire senousness of the economic situation, Solidarity may change its decision. Talks will be resumed". DEMOCRACY One worker from the Roza Luksemburg light bulb factory touched at the heart of the present struggle: "Maybe it is necessary to work some Saturdays", she explained, "but our position is that that should be decided at the local factory level. are the ones who best know what the factory needs"
in Poland last August, workers have argued that this is the best way to solve Poland's problems. The call for a full and open discussion on the country's problems - together with an end to the special privileges of ponce and government orcials -was a key part of the Gdansk agreement signed between workers and government on August 30. democracy on every level of planning that accounts for the current struggle.
SPREADING facing ever-growing opposition to attempts to maintain their repressive rule. Only recently 600,000 farmers - out of a total of 3½ million - came together to form Rural Solidarity and demand a say in ecoff.
We Since the first days of the strikes STAND It is the absence of such workers' The Stalinist bosses, however, are onomic decision-making.
The opposition is even spreading to the Communist Party itself. Workers at the Roza Luksemburg plant claim that approximately 1000 CP members there joined the vote in favour of taking January 10 Moreover, as the Christian. Science Monitor has reported, CP Moscow. members have been meeting accross tne county and raising demands for openness of political life and for the dismissal of incompetant ana conrupt party ornclals Faced with this upsurge - which has even began to spread to the party's rank-and-file - the Stalinist bosses have adopted a "get tough" racy. attitude. Irying to renege on the Gdansk agreement, they have more , recentlv refused to recognise Rura Solidarity and have used the police against striking workers (as in Nowy Sacz where over 60 were arrested lot protestug conupdon)
Most significant of all, party leader Stanislaw Kania has taken a firm stand against the call for a 40hour week with no loss of pay. He has denounced Solidarity's attempt to intervene in economic decision making and has called the use of Clearly, the Stalinist bureaucrats have decided that - unless a stand - une mass bosurec 10j workers' democracy will become unstoppable and their corrupt and repressive rule swept aside. Such a thought sends shivers down their backs, as it does their mentors in SOLIDARITY Their bureaucratic manoeuvres however - backed up with threats of a Soviet intervention - will not curb the aspirations of the Polish workers. More and more, they are realising that the only way they can resolve me prooems lace society is by establishing a socialist democSuch a move means challenging ever more firmiy the Stalinist leaders whn need to maintain their repressive regime to defend the privil eges they enjoy at the expense of working people.
It is up to socialists in the British labour movement to gain the widest solidarity with the Polish workers. A victory for them would be an inspiring example for workers everywhere who are also faced with attacks on their living standards and democracy gils
FEBRUARY 1981 Pakistani Workers Associations), the Labour Party, trade unions and regional anti-racist groups. The size of the conference - called at short notice - was an indication of the opposition building up against the Tories' racist campaign.
CLIMAX The conference was opened by ed exactly what the proposals would rishing raids, increased deportations and police harassment of the Black community.
this attack on Black rights was It is an attempt by the Tories to divide the labour movement -to make Black people the scapegoat for the anger and discontent Anne Dummett (JCWI) who explain- building up against unemployment and the fall in living standards".
Rodney went on to explain that no accident. "It is quite deliberate.
one's back on it. said, "but an alliance between the Black community and labour movement is even stronger. United, we can ensure that this Bill is thrown into the dustbin where it belongs". Rudi Narayan, combatting the views of a few speakers hostile to the Labour Party, backed up this point. It the Labour Party has a bad record on the issue of racist laws, the answer is not to turn "Get into the party", he said, "and chuck out decision to launch a mass demonstration in London towards the end of March, As one delegate from South London CARL put it: "Last time, we managed to get 20,000 onto the streets. This time, we want to get ten times that number". As a build-up to the demonstration, it was agreed to call a number of regional rallies, to hold a public meeting in London and organise lobbies of Parliament.