Barry Wilkins, Cardiff Trades Council THE FIRST South Wales labour movement tour of Solidarnosc was a tremendous success. In just one week (beginning Monday 29 March)
Ursus tractor factory in Warsaw, made a great impact upon miners, steelworkers, ficials and labour movement activists.
At Tower Colliery, Kozlowski spoke to the lodge committee, explaining the origins of Vious waves of struggle in Solidarnosc roland. sion in 1976 'the time came the working class JOI stand united', and workers in the Ursus factory, the shipyards, and other plants started to lay the basis for the development an independent trade union.
'But in December 1981 Jaruzelski declared war on the Polish working class anel adams SoCis.
Piotr said. 'Jaruzelski is a and murderer the Polish people', he added, describing how at least 7 miners had been shot in Katowice last December, intrecognisable after hart including ing. been run over by tank, so that nobody knew who it was. Against this The argued: repression, 'Solidarnosc Ine true defender of the Polish working class — it is struggling for freedom, democracy and rights.
'I spoke earlier about support for countries which are fighting democracy and human Turkey, Let us give honour to their fight, and let them know that they are not alone.
for a moment in silence for their victorv, and to show the world, and the authorities which suppress them, that they have support.' Piotr Kozlowski speech to the Cardiff Trades Council meeting. This silent tribute was followed by an enthusiastic ova.
tion for Piotr.
Piotr was asked wherner Solidarnosc wanted return capitalism. He replied: 'Nobody wanted canitalism in Poland — we had that before the war and me new wa all about. What we wanted Cocain Stalinist dictatorship, but socialism for the workers and by the workers - a democratic socialism.' On behalf of the lodge committee, secretary Tyrone O'Sullivan presented a cheque for and promised that Tower lodge would do all could support Solidarnosc. It was agreed to adopt some imprisoned Polish miners and to press the Jaruzelski regime for their release.
So the South Wales Area NUM leadership has not given decisive support For Solidarnosc.
Therefore it was val LIcu iarly valuable for Kozlowit to meet two executive Eric Davies at Bryniliw pit, and Dai Javies at Penrhiwceiher Bait promised to raise the Socialist Challenge 22 April 1982 Piotr Kozlowski, Solidarnosc convenor at the union ofon the executive commitPenrhiwceiber, lodge secretary Mike Griftin arranged tor speak to about 50 miners IUSL betore thev went lo work. He warmly received, and chairpersor Haydn Evans promised a full lodge meeting would discuss practical support Piotr also visited Ty Mawr and Lewis Merthyr pits, speaking to lodge officials and also to miners in the canteens.
Any doubts the South Wales NUM leadership titude of Solidarity towards socialism Inusi have been cleared up on this tour.
Time and again Piotr linked the struggles against bureaucratic dictatorship in the East with the azallisi perialist repression in the West: 'The victory of the Polish working class and Solidarnosc will be a victory for all people who are fighting for freedom and independence TOI the people of Turkey, Chile, Algilanistan and Salvador.
for independence, rights:
Afghanistan, El Salvador and Chile.
Let us stand Solidarnosc closing his At the invitation of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation (ISTC) and DIStrICT Foley, Kozlowski visited both Llanwern and Por Talbot steelworks. At tanwern he spoke lo a meeting of the trade union (represenung all the unions in the plant).
union prisoners, and Solidarity ...
years.
was asked if Solidarnosc had the natcher government for support. He replied: 'Solidarnose is trade union, and as a defender Terese tative of the Polish work. ing class it must not go to governments, but to trade and workers other countries TOT support. We do not speak to Thatcher and Reagan, but to une workers aotace unionists in Britain.
At both steelworks it was decided collect money in the union branches, and John Foley agreed to circulate a list of imprisoned Solidarnosc members to all ISTC branches in South Wales for their adoption Wales genera sere Hubert George Wright 200l Morgan, Party ser Wales born DOLI discussed with Kozlowski.
They agreed to build support in the Welsh labour movement by circulating a letter from Solidarnosc re questing support with a covering letter endorsing this request. And they said they would also support the further sondarnose tour in soutn Wales for later this year.
At Rover's car plant in Cardiff, told shop stewards about the riat car tactorv in Warsaw Solidarnosc was very well organised. Some 3,000 workers were sacked, and the factory was closed for three weeks to try to prevent strikes.
Some of these workers are now among the estimated 25,000 prisoners in the 48 internment camps. ConGeoff Stockham promised to raise the issue inside the Rover plant with adopting Inchick. and 'We call for the immediate return to civil law in Poland, the release of all political and trade the restoration of The introduction of martial law had nothing to do with counter-revolution. It is not Ine intenton o the mass or working people in Poland to restore capitalism. They want to carry on the road to socialism, but led by people with credibility and not by the people who have deceived them for the last 30 Cliff True, for the Welsh Committee of the Communist Party, at Cardiff Trades Council meeting.
Bert of the Welsh Communis Party, met Piotr. He was interested • 10 hear hand Solidarnoso stands for and concerned to discover what the Welsh CP could offer in the way practical support.
in the organising commitPiotr Koslowski meets Rover Convenor Geoff Stockham tee for the return tour later in the year. Bert Pearce will report on his discussions with Piotr both the Welsh Committee of the CP and also to the CP leadership in London.
were organised in both and Newport by the Trades Councils. At both meetings Piotr received a standing ovation and generous collections were made.
At the Cardiff meeting Cliff True spoke on behalf Committee of the CP, and Piotr ended Glasgow Polish Solidarity Committee, Morgan, 041-649 8958 Edinburgh Polish Solidarity Lanes.
Roundhay Mount, Leeds 8, South Bird, 617174.
Nottingham Labour Solidarnosc, c/o 3 Elm Close, Nottingham.
Birmingham Murray, 021-773 5396 Coventry Solidarity Road, Oxford. Ring 0865 58238 London Twing 0i-438 150k Labour Focus Kingsland High St, London E8 Philbeach Gardens, Earls 01-373 3493 Badges: 20p + 1% cutes on request. Sen Viner bookshop the meeting with a moving call for support for liberation and democratic struggles ; all over the world The tour showed the massive potential support for Solidarnosc among South Wales workers enthusiasm rearelu enthusiasm a return a00U movemen LOUI later this year. It is already Ccal that Drodu trade union and labour sponsorcond tour, enabling the Solidarnosc message reach still further into the South Wales class.
Solidarnosc Solidarity Committees Durward Avenue, Glasgow cro voraon G41 Ring Committee, c/o Edinburgh & District Trades Council, 12 Picardy Place, EdinGreater Manchester Polish Solidarity Committee, c/o , 51 Montrose House, Crete St, Oldam, Leeds Polish Solidarity Committee, c/o Dave Feicke Corkshire. Ring 053 Yorks Polish Solidarity Committee, 279 Ellesmere Road, Sheffield, S4 7DP. Ring 0742 Movement Solidarity Polish Solidarity Committee, c/o Roger 28 Blackford Road, Birmingham 11. Ring Committee, John Fisher c/o Oxford Labour Committee on Poland, 468 Banbury Eastern Europe Solidarity Campaign, 10 Park Drive, Eastern Europe, Box 23, 136 Solidarnosc Trade Union Working Group in UK, 64 • Court, London SWs. 25p Socialist Challenge PAMPHILE!
groups Piotr with South Wales miners