national the state Party World's largest class, and direction of revolutionary highlyof the election results. recognised • auo on less Metalworkers winning linked the contacts massive instruggle in Brazil. and main GENERAL JARUZELSKI'S JUNTA is moving systematically to wipe out every vestige of the gains the workers made in the wake of the August 1980 strike. On 8 October 1982 following the directions of the apparatchiks and the Orgbureau of the Polish United Workers Party (PWUP), the deputies to the Sejm approved a the Independent Self-Managed Union Solidarnosc. By this action, the junta trampled on the August 1980 accords and all the agreements signed with the independent workers and farmers organisaAugust 1980 to Lech Walesa and the other arrested and interned members of Solidarnosc. prepared to engage SuCu dialogue even in the circumstances of the state of war. under the threat of and gulls tanks.
From the end of June to the end of August, we declared a moratorium on strikes and demonstrations throughout the country. At the start of July, in une stalemen Times Yes' which WaS distributed hundreds of thousands of the underground leaaersmp or sondariuse said that it was ready to engage in discussion and dialogue.
Again, in leaflet drawn up for the August demonstrations. which were planned to be peacetul but were turned into a bloodbath by the police, the Solidarnosc leadership appealed to the junta for compromise and a mutual understanding.
demonstrations, ot the underground leadership, Tive 500,000 signed-up members, a leadership firmly planted at the head of the most militant sections of the Third industrial working political plug-alling which has developed rapidly in the socialist solutions. Many problems remain. In coming weeks SC will look at the PT's election platform, and the implication no VITO GIANOTTI is a militant in the opposition of the Sao Paulo Union which represents some 400,000 workers and is controlled by bureaucrats military was recently in Britain, making trade unionists here. Socialist Challenge spoke to him about the general state of the Could you give us a brief outline of struggles facing the Solidarnosc Has Not Perished leaders Solidarnosc, representatives of the ConfederaLIOL Unions, addressed a joint letter to Jaruzelski, cluding an urgent appeal for dialogue.
In Poland today, the authorities see the unions more as a police problem working-class movement in Brazil at the moment, and particularly your sector in Sao Paulo?
The number one problem at the moment is unemployment. The crisis of the capitalist system is world-wide. But for us, • in a country were ine working class already live in poverty unemployment is tragic. have social security in Brazil. There's unemployment benefit. why this is the main struggle at the moment.
Ins August len Sao Paulo factories went on strike against Last car our leader ship in the Sao Paulo metalworkers union recommended acceptance of a reduction in the working week with a cul in wages, order to avoid unemployment. But the workers turned it down.
What we want is a shorter working week without loss of pay. We want to see the bosses' profits getting smaller. We don't want to solve their problems Robotniczy Komitet Solidarnosci Warszawa (Solidarnosc Warsaw Inter-Workplace Workers Committee)
than as a means for the political economic emancipation of the working class. prevent any misunderstanding, should point out here that the military junta is fighting defend socialism. It is fighting to protect privileges.
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POR UM GOVERNO DOS TRABALHADORES
Open letter from the Polish workers to the western trade unions and workers parties