IN REVOLT STEVE GRIFFITHS, AUEW convenor at Rover Solihull, and RICHARD ROZANSKI, editor of the socialist youth :Revolution, have returnea from a two-week visit te Poland. Below they report on what is going. on and why British socialists must remain vigilant in their solidarity with the Polish workers.
RELIEF. that was the over. whelming feeling when it was. announced InaT the Polish government had reached agreement the workers Gdansk and Szczecin.
•ute bureaucrats relieved because the agreement gave them a breathing space after the battering they gone through. The new party secretary, Stanislaw Kania, has already started on the task of trying to shore uo the Communist Party apparatus, with visits to Gdansk and Katowice.
Eventually troduced to one of the most prominent strike leaders, Anna Walentynowicz, who gave us a in rundown on the situation.
Next day we were able to were speak to Joanna Duda Gwiazstrike Here, as in Warsaw, it was obhad vious how deceptive the apparent lull really is. The strike leaders are simply inundated with inquiries.
were were inleaders.
time officials. Every one of us hopefully go work in their factory.
"The union
then be elected by the mass of workers but they should continue to work in the factory. This will ensure that there is no DOSSIDIC the free isolation of the leadership from the workers.' Because the national focus of the strugWalesa from workers id ofter calls steadily asking how about setting up the new union properly in their own factories.
The differences Warsaw and Gdansk are immediately evident. Not merely do they have the use of much Lech Walesa greeted by supporters.
back and officials will unions already many local plants. larger offices in Gdansk, but the whole set-up seems much were there. more stable with the free trade established in LOUS This isn't surprising preslige the Soviet over the past month. The founding commit- This (MKS) reigns dockworkers' supreme on the Baltic coast.
tne were still operating out of a tiny flat and were having trouble booking a hall for a local conference of the free trade union.
organisers, Jan Applause for strike leaders Regulski, was arrested while we The government's aim is to isolate the different regions and DHCVClI free trade union from emerging as a nationally organised force. It also hopes to take advantage of the move by some unions to disaffiate wholesale trom the cen trai state structure.
the and seafarers' unions have decided to do in that • order to link up with the self-governing independent unions. But other moves in this direction are verv suspicious - tor instance, an announcement by the Centra Counci of Umon trend TO THE WORKERS Socialist Challenge forums on Poland featuring Steve Griffiths and Richard Rozanski (just returned from Poland) and Olive MacDonald (editor of Labour Focus on Eastern Europe).
Thur 18 Sept SWINDON. With Richard Rozanski. Phone Chris on 46498 for details.
OXFORD. • With Steve Griffiths au overreavomrion 47628 for details.
Fri 19 Sept BASN wa kachere l Rozanski. Dalston Library, Dalston Lane, E8, 7.30pm.
Weds 24 Sept MANCHESTER. With Steve Griffiths and Oliver MacDonald. Star and Garter, Fairfield St, Piccadilly, 7.30pm.
Sun 28 Sept HOUNSLOW. With Oliver MacDonald. Phone 570 4700 for detals Weds 1 Oct BIRMINGHAM. With Richard Rozanski and Oliver MacDonald. Phone 643 0669 for details. Fri 3 Oct BRISTOL , With Oliver MacDonald. Phone Harriet or 3550/ I0r aetalls LIVERPOOL. With Steve Griffiths. Phone Mark on 728 9982 for details.
Tues 7 Oct BRENT. Phone Tessa on 359 8371 for details.
Weds 8 Oct HEMEL. With Oliver MacDonald. Phone Mick on 4US I Ior Octas Weds 15 Oc COVENTRY. With Steve Griffiths. Phone 461138. for details.
two professional unions had disaffiliated to set up 'selfmanaged' ones. Control Nevertheless, the general is clear: big move toward. • the independent As Lech Walesa has put it, this is the second phase of the movement. The third phase, he explained, concerned 'one of the things we want the most: to take control of the land and the factories where we work' But to achieve this means destroying bureaucratic rule. It means challenging 'the leading role of the Communist Party. It means engaging in political struggle • Forums for political discussion need to be opened up in order elaborate the best demands for winning the majority of the population behind the new umons. This is the challenge which now opens up.