unfortunate that I had to learn so far away what was going on close by.
The committee was founded by three persons: Andrzej Gwiazda and two others. Gwiazda noW national vice-president of sondarity. OI the others was a secret police agent. but we didn't know that then. How this group survived we still wonder Loday We had constant difficulties, welc Constanty harassed by the authorities. Over the course of two years we were able to put out only eight issues of _oul Robotnik Wybrzeza (Coastal) Worker).
The police would search our homes and confiscate not only published issues but also typewriters, even listed 'criminal evidence'. And they used other methods to harass us, such as temporary arrest for fortyeight nours. Influence Later they began have people fired their But OUS. tinued with our activities, and our intluence becan to So the authorities guw. transierred me out of the shipyard to another factory, illegally, and kept me there for three months.
1here was a difference between what I had been canille and what Was paid at the new place. The shipyard was supposed to make up the difference, but thev wouldn't let me into the yard to collect my pay Finally they had to let back shipyard. When came back, I tried to give every worker in the vard a leat et telling about my case. They began searching me at the entrance to prevent me bringing in literature.
vne day 1 managea to smuggle through copies of Robotnik Wybrzeza, with our explanation of some changes in the work and payment system. I was fined for 'disrupting work'. Afraid Polish shipyard workers from Gdansk: since Solidarity was founded the harassment they suffered has decreased enormously punish me. This happened several times.
When they did this I started to shout as loud as I could to tell the manager of my department that I interviewed the shipyards, commonplace before last August. legal basis for its actions.
The only way out of this constant harassment was appeal to the workers at the vard. had a meeting with the other two her co. workers, Jerzy and Maciej, both pipefitters at for Intercontinental Press.
Below we reprint excerpts of the discussion dealing with how the August events began and the harassment of dissidents which was the yard, there was meeting with the general manager and the first secretary of the party organisation of the shipyard. There was an exside the gates, when I heard that the strike had begun. I went to the winthird floor hallway and saw that the wales were fl moving though to do some shopping, but really hoping to be able to call Warsaw from the But they were too close behind me.
The first day there were two demands: return Walentynowicz to work and increase the pay of all workers at the yard one thousand zlotys a months. The next day our demands grew: return Walentynowicz to work; return Walesa to work; and raise the monthly pay by two Walesa were allowed to come back and the agreement was signed. This was on Saturday 16 one concession. The monthly raise was from 2,000 to 1,500 zlotys So the strike was over. The Polish national anthem was sung. The manager went to his office. Workers But as we were leaving the hall a large group of my workers were waiting for me, and one of Inem sala, w nal have you done? You have fulfilled vOll demands. that's all. Do you know your demands? Because the other factories of seacoast are on strike.' But we hadn't known Alina Pienkowska and I went running back to the hall to declare a solidarit but off The shipyard loudspeakers were announcing that the strike was over and that everyone had to leave the shipyard by 6pm. The gates were open and peo. ple were leaving.
Alina and i went running to the main gate. Now Alina is very small, a tiny person, but full of in. itiative. She stood up on a barrel and began to appea Lo nose woo were eve have to help the others with their strikes because they have helped have to defend us them. have guarantee their security and Somebody Hours the crowd said "She's right!' The gate was closed. Success. HapDILLCOS The same thing hap pened at the second gate