PUWP leader: Strikes, the church, lifting the 'state of war. We publish here extracts from a speech by Tadeusz Porebski, former rector of the Polytechnic school in Wroclaw, member of the Political Bureau of the Polish United Workers Party (PUWP), and first secretary of the party for the region of Wroclaw (Lower Silesia).
This report, given to local leaders of the PUWP in the Wroclaw region, clandestinely recorded in mid-October, sheds light on the intentions of the bureaucracy and shows the sort of language they use among themselves. Tadeusz POREBSKI First of all, a few words on the political situation. If we count today, Friday, October 15, we have seen three days of attempts to spread disorder in three enterprises in Wroclaw. These are DeltaHydral - or, if you prefer the old name, WSK - the repair works for the railway
ZNK, and the washing-machine and refrigerator makers, Polar.
### "THE TROUBLES
The agitation began on Wednesday 13 at Delta-Hydral, quite early, by a work stoppage in one of the production depart-
This stoppage was followed by one on the assembly lines — that is, in a word, by the workers of this factory. Then a demonstration made its through the enterprise, at different times gathering 200 to 1,000 people, or even
At Delta-Hydral, the pretext for the trouble was a report allegedly given on the TV news the day before that during a party meeting a resolution was voted saying that the workers at Delta-Hydral supported the new trade-union law adopted by the Diet (parliament). Personally, I did not see this programme, but I was present at one of these meetings. It is obvious the workers were party organisations voted on these resolutions in their own name. This was in conformity with directives from the Party, calling for such demonstrations of support for this law.
In the factory incidents, different slogans were shouted, as Free the
Down with the Party' - the slogans that we have usually heard during these troubles.
I would like to mention that the three in question are militarised, and they are all three in the same neighbourhood. This is not by chance. I think that this was a consciously organised test
The same day, at the same time, there was a meeting at ZNTK, which lasted three hours. The pretext was the same -the false information about Delta-Hydral on television.
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The following day, Thursday, October 14, after the troubles had ended in the two previous factories, a similar assembly, organised in the same way, took place at Polar. This time the pretext was 'solidarity with Hydral'. At the high point, 2,000 people took part in this meeting.
WHAT DID WE DO?
What did we do in reaction? At DeltaHydral the technical managers department has been closed down. It seems, from reading the leaflets which have been coming out of the factory in the last few weeks, that this was the motor force of the troubles and behind the production of the leaflets. What's more, as the workers there wear recognisable overalls, we could see they were at the origin of the demonstrations in the factory. The production department, where it all started,
Water cannon and teargas used against demonstrators (DR). has also been closed down. We are in the process of checking all the workers, after which some of them - those who have been and still are the most active — will not be taken on again. The same measure will be taken in the two other enterprises. THE DEMONSTRATIONS AND THEIR
Other troubles which we have to mention here - and you will know already from the brief reports in the press - have been a new attempt to demonstrate in front of the plaque commemorating the foundation of Solidarnosc in Wroclaw. Some 500 people took part, over two or three hours (coming and going). This was, then, a less important event than before. But we should note one dangerous fact: this time, contrary to Tuesday, August 31, when the enterprises were quiet, our adversaries succeeded in spreading disorder within the enterprises.
Also there were more serious troubles as the Cathedral mass ended at 6.30 p.m. After those whom we can consider as the genuine faithful went away, 1,500 people began to walk through the town. It was then necessary to liquidate this demonstration, and this time, it must be said, in a more expeditious way.
Let us note that the Cathedral mass was fired into action by a sermon, alunion law there had been discussions with every priest and cleric, to put them on their guard and explain things to them.
most of the priests demonstrated their neutrality on this occasion, following our advice.
If we can assume that the arrests give a more or less correct picture of the composition of the demonstrations then, of about 220 people arrested - some of whom were questioned and sent to tribunals, or released if there was no proof of their guilt - more than 150 were under 25. Some 160 were young workers. These proportions are reflected in the previous troubles. Finally, among those arrested, there were also a few university and school students, the latter counting some 40-odd, less than 20 per cent. University fewer. It's characteristic that in these demonstrations one can hardly find anybody who has finished higher education.
THE TRADE-UNION LAW
Let's come to a second point; the union questions. Here, I would like to emphasise - though what is taking place is unfortunately not a demonstration of this thesis — that we would like these initial groups to be composed of real activists from the movement, with authority. That is, in a word, we do not want to build party unions. Moreover, part of the rank-and-file organisations of the PUWP have refused to pass resolutions of support to the new union law. This is a small fringe, but it exists.
As for the initial groups, they should be formed beginning this month (October) but, as I have said, we have asked everyone not to force them, and particularly not to create these groups with only, or nearly only, party members. The party members, if we want them, are already in
The problem is attracting the non-party workers, the youth. This is the meaning of our directives. Therefore, if you have these meetings, I would like you this question, because some people could think that we are losing time, and do some stupid things during formation of these initial union
As for the International Labour Organisation (ILO), I should emphasise that our government has received recommendations from ILO experts, but not from the ILO as such. There are two points which do not accord with what is accepted by the ILO. All the unions being dissolved by the Diet and not by the tribunal, is one; the usual practice is different; and the fact that we have set up just one union, although the law does envisage the possibility of several, but this provision is suspended for three years. As for the second point, we are fully aware that this is a violation of the principles accepted by the ILO.
I would just like to mention here, per haps one day it will be useful to you, that we made a mistake - we know for what reasons - in saying that we had to con tend with a negative attitude from the capitalist countries in general towards the changes in our country, towards the union question. We should rather have said that this attitude was taken by the
Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) countries. The specialists say that in some of them there is more talk than concrete actions, but in two, indeed three, countries there is a good deal of determination on this point - in the USA, Western Germany, and France. But again according to the opinion of the spe cialists, France is enthusiastically preparing for the Mitterrand-Brezhnev meeting also consider their expressions as just talk without any effect on policy towards the Eastern countries.
But we should not lose ourselves in conjecture. In practice Poland has not been attacked by the other countries, including capitalist ones, at the United Nations. In fact we have understanding, not to say sympathy, from the countries of Central America, and South America, there have been no attacks from this quarter. Nor was there hestility from the African countries, nor other countries except Australia and New Zealand. The loss of the 'most favoured nation' trading status with the USA means a loss for us on the order of 40 to 60 million dollars, of the 200 million dollars that exports to this country bring us.
OUR RELATIONS WITH THE
Finally, our relations with the Church. There have been meetings, on which you have read brief reports, between representatives of the State authorities and those of the ecclesiastical authorities. Recently these have been about the visit of Pope John Paul II. The Church - according to the information I have - wanted it spectacular, and above all very long. On our side, we put the condition that we wanted it made clear what would be the char-
acter of this visit and what the Pope
We demanded that the church clarify its attitude before the Pope's visit. We want to know what political baggage the Pope will bring along. The present discussions are about that. The Polish primate, Monsignor Glemp,