(The following statement was released on July 11, during the initial Polish strike wave sparked by meat price increases, by the Committee for Social Self-Defense (KOR), the Polish dissident organization with the closest ties to the striking workers.]
On July 1, large price increases for meat and certain pork products went into effect. In a July 2 newscast, the vice-chairman of Spolem! officially announced that the increases would affect only a portion of the items whose prices had gone up the day before. Then on July 4, in certain areas of the country almost all items whose prices had gone up three days earlier were back at their former prices in the factory cafeterias,? and in certain stores. However, in the cafeterias and stores in other areas, the new price increases remained in effect.
During the following days-and up to the present-the price gyrations continued. For example, on July 1 the new price increases were introduced in the factory cafeteria at the Huta Warszawa steel mill. On July 3, between 7 a.m. and noon the old prices were in effect but between noon and 2 p.m. the new prices were in effect. Then, beginning at 2 p.m. on July 3 and throughout the whole of July 4 the old prices were back in force. And from July 5 to the present the new prices have been applied.
On July 9 the central leadership of the party and the economic managers met in Warsaw. The price increases were reaffirmed, but for fewer products than the vice-chairman of Spolem had announced (two cuts of meat, bacon, certain poultry items and certain brands of canned meat). They announced that next year there would be increases in the so-called old plan pensions, a substantial rise in family allotments, and an increase in the lowest wages.
The officials rescinded the price increases, then reintroduced them, and then possible worker dissatisfaction. It was the increase in prices of certain products sold in these cafeterias (especially bacon and pig's knuckles) that sparked the July 1, 1980 protests.-IP/I
reduced them. And they promised wage increases. All this took place under pressure from the workers' protests and their demands-backed up by strike threats and by strikes.
Right now we have information on strikes in fourteen workplaces:* the Huta Warszawa steel mill, the FSO auto factory in Warsaw, the Z.M. Ursus [tractor] factory near Warsaw, WSK Mielec, WSK Swidnik [two factories that make aircraft and communications equipment), the POLMO [auto parts] factory in Tezew, the POLCOLOR Zelow plant in Piaseczno near Warsaw [which manufactures television tubes], the ZELMOT plant in Warsaw, the Rzeszow construction combine in Dabrowa Gornicza, the slaughter-houses in Grudziadz, department K-1 of the Gdansk shipyards, Warsaw's Rosa Luxembourg plant, the KAMET plant in Poznan, and the Cegielski [heavy machine] factory in Srem.
In five of the workplaces the workers demanded that the price increases be rescinded; in eight workplaces they demanded wage increases; in another (the FSO auto plant) they demanded wage increases and lower prices. Wherever the workers demanded wage increases, management began to grant them.
In three departments of the Z.M. Ursus factory, workers commissions were established. Management gave a written promise not to carry out any reprisals against the strikers. The workers are demanding cost-of-living clauses in their pay.
Strikes are continuing throughout the country. In our July 2 declaration we wrote:
"The Committee for Social Self-Defense, KOR, expresses its full solidarity with the strikers and supports their demands. We particularly support their demand for costof-living clauses in their wages....
"The most effective form of workers' struggle-which is in the interests of workers and the entire society and is above all the least dangerous form for the whole country-is self-organization within each workplace with democratic elections for independent workers' representatives, who can, in the name of all the workers, put forward the workers' demands, carry out negotiations with the authorities, and lead actions in a responsible, but workers' resolute manner. The workers must be conscious that only united action can lead to positive results. Above all, the authorities must not be allowed to begin any kind of persecution against strikers or real or supposed workers' leaders."
The irresponsible investments policy of the 1970s and the agricultural policy that led to the crisis in the supply of agricultural products created a real economic catas trophe. The pricing system, which runs contrary to all economic laws, but has been maintained for decades, is another factor responsible for the crisis. But this system can only be changed within the framework of a radical change in the entire economy. The present economic system is irrational, it holds back progress, wastes human effort, and undermines the worker's morale.
They criticize the factory workers, saying that they work badly, that they are lazy, that they don't utilize their workday. But all this stems from the fact that people do not want to work because of the system of rewards and the functioning of the entire economy. It is not the workers' fault when raw materials are unavailable or a factory shuts down because the electricity is cut off. The Polish United Workers Party [the Communist Party] tries to get society to take responsibility for the party's own errors and inabilities and its own misunderstanding of the economic processes.
A change in the pricing system would only be acceptable if it were one small link in a radical economic reform. The basic cause of the crisis is the policy that the government of the Polish People's Republic has carried out over the years—a policy of making decisions without consulting society. And instead of carrying out needed economic reforms they resort to day-to-day patchwork measures. The negative results of such a policy weigh heavily on society-especially on the most deprived layers.
Immediate action must be taken in order to save the country from catastrophe:
1. There must be radical changes in the economic system and the way in which decisions concerning the entire society are made. The Committee for Social Self Defense, KOR, does not take a position on the direction this reform should take. We are convinced that only a country-wide discussion can decide this. Undoubtedly, such a discussion will take into account the proposals for reform that have been for "lated over the years by the independent social institutions. The governmental program of reforms and a timetable for implementing them must also be clearly formulated. If not, we will respond to the government's day-by-day measures with day-to-day protest actions by different social groups.
2. Given that the immediate cause of the present tension is the situation of the food market-especially the market for meatwe must put a stop to the policy that brings about the individual farmer's bankruptcy (the principal food producers). Private ownership of land must be guaranteed with freedom to buy and sell land. All forms of agricultural production (family farms, cooperatives, and state farms) must be dealt with in the same way, as regards supplies, sales, prices, credits, taxes, and the right to recourse to justice. A fair share of livestock feed and other materials related to agricultural production must be reserved for individual agriculture-more
imports and exports of meat (overall production, individual and collective consumption, and foreign trade).
5. It is especially important that the coming discussions and negotiations take place in a calm atmosphere and that the results reflect the real viewpoints of all social groups. The authorities must understand that they cannot avoid negotiating with society. What atmosphere the negotiations take place in depends on the authorities: whether in a calm atmosphere or in the midst of an increasingly determined struggle.
The Committee for Social Self-Defense, KOR, in line with its aims, stresses the need to reestablish the rights of citizens. These rights were guaranteed in the "Charter of the Rights of Man" that was ratified by the Polish People's Republic. If the authorities observed these rights, the conditions would be created whereby agreement could be reached on the most pressing economic, political, and social reforms.
• Workers assemblies must be allowed to elect workers commissions, employee associations, independent trade unions, and other forms of representation that can defend the workers' interests.
• Citizens must be able to organize, to fight for their rights, and to propose and implement measures aimed at bettering society.
"Decree on Ag and Associations" semblies must changed.
• The Labor Code must be changed= and in particular, Article 52/1 that allows a worker to be fired for going on strike must be rescinded. The right to strike must be guaranteed by law.
The conditions for a countrywide discussion on the present situation must be created. Aside from the purely economic issues, there is the sweeping censorship and the monopoly over the mass media (press, radio, and television) that not only prevents society's real opinions from being expressed, but also prevents experts from making their positions known if those positions are considered inconvenient. This means that society as well as the authorities are deprived of any real control over the country's situation and those people who are familiar with the economic and social problems cannot make their proposals known to either the authorities or their fellow citizens (and the latter are the most important). Such a situation does not facilitate coming up with solutions and only increases the danger of catastrophe.
• Independent experts must be given products. But, in fact, these are the only stores where meat and pork products can be found (except on special occasions like Christmas Eve when the bureaucracy "makes a special gesture"). The prices in these commercial stores are 100 to 150 percent higher than in the regular butcher shops which do not even receive ade quate supplies.—IP/I
access to the mass media, and the positions taken by workers assemblies and independent organizations must be published. Prosecution of independent publishing houses and newspapers must be stopped.
• Pre-censorship of the press must be abolished and a new press law should be passed that will establish the necessary sanctions to protect military secrets and private individuals.
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• Repression of people for independent stopped.
• The powers of the militia [police] and security services should be reduced.
• Independence of the courts must be reestablished.
• All political prisoners must be freed immediately.
These are the minimum preconditions for beginning a real countrywide discussion on the present situation and for arriving at an understanding between society and the authorities. The Committee for Social Self-Defense, KOR, addresses itself to society as a whole, especially to the workers assemblies so that they can support these proposals and put them forward in their negotiations with the authorities.
We should not be satisfied simply with a partial retreat in the price increases, or with additional pay raises in only the most important workplaces. These concessions by the authorities will not improve living standards, especially among the most deprived sectors.
It is not solely our standard of living that is at stake. It is also very important to halt the disintegration of the government and society. The authorities' irresponsibility does not relieve us of our responsibility towards our country.
Committee for Social Self-Defense, KOR
P.S. The Committee for Social Self Defense, KOR, in accordance with its aims, will come to the aid of anyone who suffers reprisals for participating in strikes.
Notes
1. Spolem is the name of the cooperative that controls most of the food stores throughout the country.-IP/I
2. In certain workplaces, the cafeterias also sell basic necessities, such as meat and pork products. They charge the prevailing prices that are set through the normal distribution network. Generally, the cafeterias are better stocked than the public network in order to head off any
3. These are pensions on which payment began before the new pension law-following the 1970- 71 strikes. They pay about half what the pensions granted since then pay.—IP/I
3. But this change in agricultural policy will not lead to increased deliveries of food products to the market and government authorities will not be able to ensure a sufficient supply of meat in the stores at normal prices. Therefore "commercial prices"6 should be abolished and broad rationing of meat and meat products should be introduced. That is, ration coupons should be issued and prices should return to their pre-July 1 level.
4. This list was compiled on July 11. It only includes information received and confirmed by KOR as of this date. Since then, the number of known strikes has skyrocketed.—IP/I
4. All data on the economic situation must be published-especially data on the foreign debt and an accounting of the
5. If the workers fulfill the goals outlined in the general production plan they receive a bonus. Nevertheless, the authorities still largely resort to "ideological stimulants" (such as honor lists), which the workers couldn't care less about and even try to avoid.-IP/I
6. "Commercial prices" were introduced in a certain number of stores in 1977. It was the government's way of circumventing its commitment made after the June 1976 general strike not to raise prices. In theory, these special stores are supposed to sell better quality meat and pork