Edmund Baluka must be freed | IMGpapers 1980

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Poland that Edmund left.

Baluka has played a historic role in the life of the Polish working class. He led the workers' strikes in Szcezcin in 1970-71 that brought down the Gomulka regime and laid the foundations for the tradition of independent working class action that re-emerged in August 1980 the strike movemen that gave birth to Solidarity Forced into exile in the carly 1970s, Baluka lived for a number of years in Britain, working in a Manchester factory. In the late 1970s he moved lo and, the help Marxists there, he produc ed a bulletin championing workers rights socialist ideas he rethned integally to Poland - the demand of the Szczecin strike COHE mittee in August 1980 that ne be allowed to return authorities regained hi • job the Warsk shipyard, his old work-place and was ver active in the working class movement there until the military of December. He was then interned for many months.

While all the other internees in Over the last week news has arrived from Baluka is gravely ill in prison after four weeks on hunger strike. His case demands urgent action from the entire eventually released, Baluka was not.

Instead he was arrested in the camp and held in the notorious Szczecin Kaszubska prison in complete isolation. He remains there to this day.

Baluka one of the very tow original mence to be held in jail under arrest. ine orner two group are the seven top leaders of Solidarity and the five prominent KOR activities who played an influential role in Solidarity. commanded amongst the Szczecin workers. This respect was enhanced • and his courageous intransigent leadership amongst the internees. Baluka also leaders of the 1970-91 leaders of the in the working class movement. For these reasons, the police want to break him and smear him with lies and slanders in the media through a show-trial.

The projected trial of SKOR activists must be a key focus of protests by the labour movement in Britain Baluka must be given letta prothe more the left, because he will gain little the more publicity in the mass media here in comparison with the other two cases.

Edmund Baluka was a

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