AS THE TUC meets in Blackpool, the world's second largest independent union movement held its first national congress in the shipyard city of Gdansk, representing just under 9½m members of Solidarity have been taking stock of the past year's historic events, and planning the extension of the gains of Solidarity's revolution.
The took • ace arallist background of deteriorating relations between Solidariiy and the government: a union printer was arrested in Katowice for publishing anti-Soviet caricalules and the official inquiry inMarch's police violence in Bydgoszcz reported that it could not find those responsible.
Two major questions June CONTHCE with the government were central to the discussions the congress. On exclude PoiISA and radio from the congress in protest government's refusal to allow Solidarity have some say in how the congress uas reported The continual barrage Sanuc aralllsl Solidarity in all the official well the nicula government's attempts to CenSOl the union's OWIl Journals, creates a permanent source ot contlict More serious however the between Solidarity and the government over workers' selfmanagement. Un lne an- versary of last summer's he authorities raised the șrice of bread by 400 per :ent.
The government uses Poland. Some 912 delegates conclusion, in a counly wnlce ciams Lo ve cli munist, simple: the workers SROUIC TULIC caaOTOaa r Network The movement for workers' self-management began varce when seventeen of the largest inGusial workplaces, «uKe the Lenin Shipyards CIOuSK the Huta Katowice siwlworks in Upper Slesia. and the Ursus trac. tor plant in Warsaw, form ed the Network.
This body drew self proposals for mana cemere urougn unc establishment of workers which were aD. proved by the 208,000 Solidarity members in the enterprises.
July all CVClI broader body called the Working Group was set up atter conference in Lublin of workers' councils, self-management committees and Solidarity committees from fourteen regions. The Working Group decided to OHU dEC L efforts with the Network to promote discussion and vi callsa tion workers' selfmanagement.
In response the recent Communist Party conGdansk shipyard weTKe see them reduced powerlessness the bureaucracy tightened their grip. This time the want such WULKCIS cils to have real institutionalised powers.
The draft Bill on selfmanagement drawn up bv the Network envisages real lying DUWC. wild shopfloor workers whose democratic asschiDlIcs are amongst those where a compromise solution was worked out. In a few cases the workers have won the right to nominate their own director — in the Warsaw rorytecanic chemical factory Falbet pretabricated housing plant.
Now workers at the Huta Katowice Steelworks supporting tne movement region now have selfmanagement committees.
And Solidarity's conference is likely to make co-operation the government over dealing with the economic crisis conditional upon agreement to workers electing their own plant directors.
Having achieved infor workers' self-management 3-4pm Turkey Solidarity Events Saturday 12 September First anniversary of the fascist coup in Turkey Picket of the Turkish Embassy 43 Belgrave Square, London SW1