The signing of the agreement in Gdansk on 31 August 1980. Between the government commission and the strike committee and the rise of Solidarity marked the beginning of the 1989 changes: the collapse of communism and the end of the post-Yalta system. On Sunday, 34 years pass since these events.
The first strikes the summer of 1980 was a reaction to the increase in the price of meat and sausages, introduced by the then ruling Edward Gierek team. “Unreasonable breaks” – as she called strikes partisan propaganda and wrote contemporary newspapers – began in early July, including WSK PZL-Mielec, Metallurgical Plant POMET in Poznan and Enterprise Transbud in Tarnobrzeg. July 16 strikes broke out in Lublin; in addition to the economic demands for the first time appeared to demand new elections official trade unions. These strikes ended with promises of wage increases.
In July, went on strike approx. 80 thousand. people in 177 factories.
In mid-August 1980. began strikes on the Coast, where he was still alive the memory of repressed brutally by the protests in December 1970. strike in the Gdansk Shipyard organized activists of Free Trade Unions of the Coast – opposition, illegal organization formed in 1978. organizer of the FTU was a member of the KSS “KOR” Bogdan Borusewicz, and were among the founders of the Free Trade Union, among others, Lech Wałęsa, Andrzej Gwiazda, Anna Walentynowicz and Krzysztof Wyszkowski.
I defend Walentynowicz, gantry exempt from work for opposition activities 14 August 1980 strike broke out in several departments of the shipyard. He planned it and prepared Borusewicz, and started associated with the FTU workers: Jerzy Borowczak, Bogdan Felski and Louis Prądzyński. Soon, jumping over a fence in the yard also appeared Lech Walesa, fired from his job in 1976. Stood at the forefront of the strike.
August 16 strike nearly ended not because the director of the shipyard Clement Gniech (long-time employee of the yard , in December 1970 was the strike committee) agreed to meet initial demands: the restoration work Walentynowicz and Walesa, the increase in wages for each employee, the construction of the monument to the victims of December 1970., guarantees the inviolability of the strikers. Walesa announced the end of the strike, but several members of the strike committee objected, calling for solidarity strike with plants, which at that time took strikes.
Established Inter-Factory Strike Committee, which consisted of delegates came to the yard the other striking enterprises . Chairman of MKS was Walesa and The Bureau entered FTU activists. Bureau of MKS created: Walesa, the two Vice-Presidents – Andrew Kolodziej and Bogdan Lis – and Lech Badkowski, Joanna Duda-star, Wojciech Gruszecki, Andrzej Gwiazda, Stefan Izdebski, George Kmiecik, Zdzislaw Kobyliński, Henry Krzywonos, Stefan Lewandowski, Alina Pieńkowska, Joseph Przybylski Jerzy Sikorski, Lech Sobieszek, Tadeusz Stanny, Anna Walentynowicz and Florian Wisniewski.
Written on 21 demands of MKS; first and most important was the establishment of independent authorities and employers’ unions. Protesters invoked the Convention ratified by the People’s Republic No. 87 of the International Labour Organisation, which guaranteed the freedom of trade unions.
MKS also demanded: the right to strike; freedom of speech, press and publication; reinstatement of dismissed for political reasons; administration in the mass media about MKS create and publish a list of demands; take action to exit the country out of the crisis; payment of salary for the period of striking strike; wage increases of 2 thousand. zł; guarantee indexation of wages in relation to the increase in prices and inflation; fully supply the market with foodstuffs; abolition of commercial prices and sales for hard currency in the so-called. domestic exports; selection of managers according to competence and not party affiliation, including the elimination of privileges for MO and SB; introduction of cards for meat and milk until control the situation on the market; lowering the retirement age; equalization of pensions “old portfolio” to the currently paid; improve the working conditions of health professionals; increase the number of places in nurseries and kindergartens; introduction of paid, three-year maternity leave; shorten the waiting time for an apartment; increases diets; introduction of all Saturdays as holidays.
August 17, Fr. Henryk Jankowski of Gdansk St. Brigid celebrated the first Mass of the yard. Collective prayers have become a custom in protesting shipyard. Its gates were buried in flowers; hoisted the national flag and portraits of Pope John Paul II. For strikers played artists. The shipyard issued an independent newsletter, printed leaflets. At the request of the MKS in the Tri-introduced prohibition.
At this time ISCs formed in Szczecin and Elblag. At the head of the committee in the Szczecin shipyard striking them. Adolf Warski stood participant events in December 1970 – Marian Jurczyk. MKS, who headed the volunteered 36 demands.
Conversations with the strikers, bypassing the MKS, led Deputy Prime Minister Tadeusz Pyka; was, however, canceled and replaced it with the Deputy Prime Minister Mieczyslaw Jagielski Gdansk, Szczecin – Deputy Prime Minister Kazimierz Barcikowski. Throughout Poland were out already then approx. 350 plants.
64 intellectuals issued an appeal to the authorities to start talks with the MKS: “We appeal to the political authorities and the striking workers that it was a way of talking, the way of compromise” – posted. Two of them – Bronislaw Geremek and Tadeusz Mazowiecki, who brought an appeal to the Gdansk Shipyard – became part of the MCS created committee of experts. They made her too: Bogdan Cywinski, Tadeusz Kowalik, Waldemar Kuczynski, Sociologist and Andrzej Wielowieyski.
August 22 in Szczecin government delegation began talks with the MKS. A day later began a general strike on the coast; Jagielski in the Gdańsk Shipyard began talks with the strikers.
During the negotiations Jagielski and Barcikowski several times traveled to Warsaw for the meeting and the Communist Party Central Committee Political Bureau, has ruled out the use of force in order to suppress the strike. Soviet authorities demanded that Gierek use “harsh”. Although the August 15 Gierek mentioned the possibility of convening Parliament and bring the matter of force, outlined, it can be considered only in case of deterioration of the situation. Then he called for political solutions, even when on August 21 he said that “we are dealing with the symptoms of counterrevolution expressed in the organized activity of terrorist groups that have an impact on the working class.” The then government argued that the situation is not dramatic as the strikers did not come out to the streets.
August 26 Polish Primate Cardinal. Stefan Wyszynski, who feared Soviet intervention, called Jasna Gora to stop strikes. Censored parts of his homily television showed. “The more diligently we work, the less we borrow” – this part of the homily television repeated several times. Omitted such, among others, statement: “But in order to fulfill its tasks, it is necessary national sovereignty, moral, social, cultural and economic. (…). Though today it is clear that full sovereignty among the peoples of different systems and related blocks is not, however, be limits for such systems, the boundaries of responsibility for their own nation, its laws and, therefore, the right to sovereignty. “
August 29 MCS was founded in the Hawk in Upper Silesia, which developed its own demands.
The first agreement between the government and the strikers was signed on August 30 in Szczecin. The strikes have included the approx. 700 plants; attended them approx. 750 thousand. people. The authorities agreed to the demands of the strikers, including the new trade unions; MKS agreed that instead of “free” trade used the term “self-governing”.
On the same day V Plenum of the PZPR Central Committee adopted the “approving the message” signing an agreement Szczecin and Gdansk’s acceptance of the draft agreement.
August 31 Walesa and Jagielski, signed an agreement in Gdansk. MKS declared completion of the ongoing strike two weeks. Government delegation agreed to include to create a new, independent, self-governing trade unions, the right to strike, the monument of the victims in December 1970, broadcasts of Sunday mass. the Polish Radio and reducing censorship. Adopted a provision that the new trade unions recognize the leading role of the Communist Party in the state. The ceremony of signing the agreement broadcast on TVP.
strike in Gdansk, Szczecin and Elblag bets taken on September 1 job. Still were out of the mines in Upper Silesia. Conversations with MKS mine July Manifesto launched a government committee, chaired by Alexander Kopec. Newspapers published protocols Szczecin and Gdansk agreements.
3 September 1980. Signed the third agreement – in the Hawk in Upper Silesia, where the strike began at the end of August. It assumed, among others, introduction in 1981. all free Saturdays. Mines resumed work.
Agreement does not prejudge, what structure will have new relationships. 17 September 1980. Representatives of inter-Founding Committees (converted from MCS) have adopted statutes that had decided the creation of the Independent Self-Governing Trade Union “Solidarity” – a nationwide compound of the regional structure. At the head of the National Coordination Committee stood Walesa as President and Star. Jurczyk was chairman of the Regional Board Pomerania.
November 10, 1980 y., The Supreme Court registered the “Solidarity”. Soon the relationship consisted almost 10 million members (it was 80 percent. Government employees). Trade union organizations established in all enterprises and institutions – government not only committed to the establishment of cell connection in the Polish Army and Citizens Militia.
When the gene. Wojciech Jaruzelski decided to impose martial law on 13 December 1981., Solidarity was suspended and in October 1982 years – banned. It was a period of persecution of the opposition and underground activities. The compound was re-registered as a result of the findings of the Round Table in April 1989.
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