AN 'ANTI-SOVIET AND aDoul the Russian socialism.
What did Solidarity's congress decide that So enraged Tass? First, they issued an appeal to the workers across the Soviet bloc. The appeal read:
the lying "misinformation" put out vour countries we are the authentic representatives of ten million workers, DOTT out workers' struggles. Our goal is to struggle to improve the conditions of life ot all workers support those who have YUU chosen the difficult road of fighting for free independent unions. believe that in the not too distant future we will be meeting to exchange our periences.
Solidarity aCLVSS have realised that the best defence of their own gains would be the development of independent trade other Eastern INORS bloc countries.
Second, Solidarity has appealed for the government to use the constituroerendum on major poli- tional provision tical issues to decide between the government's and Solidaritv's dratt laws on workers' self-manageLuCHt.
The government is only prepared sanction workers' participation. The union wants workers' councils to have the power to make the crucial decisions in the factory, including the hiring and firing of plant directors. Already WOIKCIS the giant Huta Katowice steel pant have voted overwhelmingly in a Solidarityorganised referendum to sack their director who recently shut down the local Solidarity Wilhtlle press.
the government ANTI-SOCIALIST bureaucrats' idea of won't agree to self-manage- referen•H OR LIC ment laws Solidarity has threatened to sponsor its own national referendum on the issue. The government desperately opposes the plan which threatens the ruling party's exclusive right to nominate people for all key posts.
Third, Solidarity
pealed for the holding of free elections both to local elections and to the Polish parliament. This amounts to the demand for the toleration of a multi-party system.
no that Solidarity activists nave been discussing for some time the possibility of setting up a new workers' Ai present al in Poland present the legal political parties are closely linked to and controlled by the ruling Communist Parly.
The idea of the one-party state has done much to discredit communism in the eyes of the workers of the The right establish political partie. which respect the constitution should Mase norm in any post-capitalist society. Urganseu "pontical debate through different pollicai parties within the workers' councils would be the most etfective way to centralise. socialist planning.
Fourth, Solidarity appealed for public control of the mass media. Delegates to the conference were shown a TV camera donated by Lt e Belgian Free Trade Unions. The platform CONCESS declared that if the state TV continued to slander Solidarity they would set up their own network.
Inere Colliel theme running through all LEC CANONS ot the congress - ICC workers' councils, publicly controlled media and so UIL Each would undermine the exclusive party monopoly on political life. Each WolSe tend push Solidarity in the direction of challenging for political The logical conclusion of these step: that Solidarity- should no longer accept the 'leading role of the party' clause in the union statutes raised but decided aver the edge. upon by the congress.
It is the fear • that this conclusion is increasingly being drawn by the Solidarity activists that lies Ene Soviet Polish rulers' horror at the results of the congress. opposite direction. The party and the state are being pushed.
But. . the -politicisation within Solidarity is also causing growing rift within Solidarity itself between Walesa and more radical activists: This was expressed in the debate at congress over the union's PARTIA READ; structures which Walesa WOl When the congress reassene es s wo weeks major question at stake is likèly to be the composition of the new Solidarity leadership bodies.
representative bodies for all :wOrkers in ine eerorise Presently we are making regarding Manasehichl.
proposal management bill and what as vour resconse to i:
Well, I would rather simply tell you what the workers demands are. First of all. there are inree ols ina can the bill economi TCIOEE •emane or une worker. these •are selfmanagement must have the : and not just co-manage participate the management 1 he self-management commiee llave fil0 ront o elect dismis directors and high-level ministrators and the director responsible to • the self-management councils
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ORGY' was how the Russian news agency Tass described the first national congress of Solidarity in Poland. This comment says a lot
NSZZ GDA: Solidarity poster shows workers' self-management putting the country back from the cliff with the giant 'crisis' pushing in the
the enerprs the bill on sel-management, and bie bill