A MAJOR opportunity to build a united national campaign in support of the Polish free trade union Solidarnosc was lost on Sunday.
Nor was it simpiv lost It was trampled to death at the annual general meeting of the Polish Solidarity Campaign by a London-based leadership whose methods made a mockery of their claim to support the democracy of SolidarNo resolutions for discussion were circulated beforehand. No proper pooled fare was organised for delegates from out of When many of elatter when many the latter had already had to leave to get home, a proposal was pushed through to concenirate control in the hands membership. This effectively campaign the local sondanty commitees wno have won some of the most significant support for Solidarnosc since martial was imposed on December.
Unity Delegates from local committees urged adopion of simple objectives or the campaign aimed at uniting all those prepared :a get out and build sup=ort for Solidarnosc. Inread it was decided to pur he major emphasis creaking all links with the Warsal Pact countries Solidarnose mented only a single men•or - in terms or dim=-daupport forit. And he This he lahour the fireter Manchester Canaparen 1C,1l This was in line with a witch-nunt atmosphere whipped Padership against Leninists and Trotskvists in general and the Marxist Group (IMG) Dal" ticular. The morning sesthe platform on General Jaruzeiski ana 14 on ... Ine IMG!
Quiz all-time low was reached when an Oxford delegate nominated for the National Committee was first quizzed on whether he sion on Poland in 192005- supported Lenin's The PSC was a natural focus for supporters of Solidarnosc after December because it was the only body which had carried out any sort of national campaign since the strike wave of August 1980. As such its membership rocketed to nearly a thousand.
But its AGM revealed the real face of the PSC leadership: that Leninism betore building support for Solidarnose. and that no real democracy will be allowed in ine campaign which threatens the hold of this London-based clique. In practice ever the protestations of some of its members - t Cold War rhetoric of the imperialists rather than the solidarity of the working (a))
This clearly Wa demonstrated when the conference voted to make the campaign open to all those who supported independent 0ag510 everywhere'. Mover of the resolution Robin Blick explained that this mean opening the cam. paign SDP members and Liberals' excluding only the fascist right and the fascist left' Amazingly Socialist SuDDolICIS Organiser supported this ICSOluLIOnI.
Delegates the Soludully Collite Manchester, Birmingham, explained from basing their activities on the organised labour movement distinguishing themselves the hypocritical rhetoric of Reagan and solidarity Thatcher.
Local Polish solidarity
committees now have no option but to seek alternative means of coordinating their efforts in building support for Solidarnosc among 'natural partners' in the labour movement. focus for this should be the labour movement conference by the Manchester campaign which has already won support from a number of Labour MPs. Another should be fighting to commit the Labour Party and leaders to call a labour movement march supporSolidarnosc next December mark vear since the impositior Piotr Kozlowski from the: Solidarnosr: trade union working group (left) with Laurence Scott striker Phil Penning on a recent factory tour in Manchester. The PSC annual general meetiny voted against supporting the Manchester committer's pro lected labour movement conference. of martial law.
A de facto split has ocCuTTed the Polish solidarity movement happened because the PSC leadersno is more conccircu lo war on Leninism than to unite all forces who give practical support Solidarnosc Theirs the responsibility for this And those who situation. suffer for will be the workers of Poland.
Martin Meteyard Treasurer of the Glasgon Polish Solidarity Committee (writing here in a personal capacity) and was a delegate from that mittee to the PSC AGM. COmHANDS off Brush /in Socialist Chalonge PAMPHLET 20U0 cupies Order vour copies now or ine secone canton porters groups bull IS YOURS Solidarity postcards!
send one as the Polish Wins, pape
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