[A-List] Poland: Labor struggles

[Sabri Oncu <soncu@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Poland : Solidarity union anti-labour law demo ends, deputy hurt
in scuffles
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Apr 26, 2002

Warsaw, 26 April: Today's Solidarity trade union demonstration
against labour law changes ended around 1600 hours outside the
prime ministerial chancellery in Warsaw. Over 28,000 people
gathered in Warsaw's Pilsudski Square at noon to take part in the
protest, coaches with demonstrators bringing traffic almost to a
standstill.

The protesters marched through Warsaw to the Sejm [lower house of
parliament] and then to the prime ministerial chancellery, they
also handed Minister of Labour Jerzy Hausner a petition with
their objections to labour law amendments. "We stressed that we
want agreement and we want it to be reached within the
Tri-Partite Commission (of employers, unions and the government -
PAP editorial note)," Solidarity head Marian Krzaklewski said
outside the Sejm, where he handed a similar petition to Sejm
Speaker Marek Borowski. Krzaklewski added that the commission had
as yet never discussed the labour law issue.

Protesters gathered outside the prime ministerial chancellery
hurled smoke-bombs, firecrackers and eggs at the building. Some
also tried to break through barriers surrounding the chancellery
but were stopped by union marshals. About 400 Solidarity
unionists also started a protest in front of the Economy Ministry
against a planned sell-off of a part of the Telekomunikacja
Polska SA (TP SA) national phone operator to France Telecom.

Waldemar Borczyk, a member of the Self-defence farmers' party,
was hurt in scuffles which broke out in the Sejm between
Solidarity protesters and members of Self-defence and the League
of Polish Families [LPR]. "I don't know what happened. One of
Krzaklewski's people just butted me one," Borczyk said
afterwards. Later today, Borczyk was taken for treatment to the
Ministry of Internal Affairs Hospital in Warsaw.

Prime Minister Leszek Miller said in Prague today that
Solidarity's demonstration was a protest against its own
policies. "If Solidarity has decided to protest against the tough
economic situation, then it is a pity that it took so long to
condemn the effects of its own policies," Miller stated.

Source: PAP news agency, Warsaw, in English 1729 gmt 26 Apr 02

Full at:
http://globalarchive.ft.com/globalarchive/article.html?id=0204260
08129ll