Donald (editor Labour Focus on Eastern Europe) & Steve Griffiths (AUEW convenor Rover Solihull)
DEBATE at dominated by the Polish events, and they will cast their sadow on the conference. The TUC General councits cmoarrassing suence has allowed the right wing to ahed some crocodile tears.
But a glance at the Polish workers" demands shows that their struggle deserves jualified support, and that it has nothing in common with the practices of the Chapples and Duffys of this world.
unc Ham Issue is cne aemand for independent unions. But this has risen to the fore for much more basic reason: the workers are denied any control UVCL their political economic institutions.
It is rank hypocrisy to support the demand for free trade unions and oppose democratic control of the British Labour Party!
The existing Polish unions serve only as a transmission belt was for the state and Communist Party bureaucracy. tion of an alternative is neither anti-socialist nor 'trade union' demand. but is ultimately bound up with the need for a democratically planned society, where the great mass of people are excluded from the decisionHIt• making process.
The Polish workers clearly understand when in hey call for circulation of all the facts on the socio-economic situation in Poland, and the granting to all social layers and currents of opinion of the possibility take part in a programme of and reform', the basic means to bring the political institutions of Polish control: the right to be informed, and the right to formulate and campaigr plans and solutions.
A whole series of demands relating to the Ine crea- linked to other demands which are clearly bound up with the purely sources of the bureaucracy's special privileges: for example the suppression of 'commercial' prices a situation capitalist demand!) and an end to the special privileges of the police, security forces, management and party members.
The level of accountability they want is much greater than they call for that granted by many British union leaders. Can anyone imagine Chapple or Duffy consenting to televised negotia tions they are demanding Wales; when direct workers' for alternative économy are (hardly proThatcher or We Pose OCIALIST ISOLIDAR POLISH WORKER