AUT: Report of Third Polish Nation-wide

["stevphen shukaitis" <stevphen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Report of Third Polish Nation-wide Workers? Conference
Successful workers protest
Lodz, 6, 7 November 2004

The Third Polish Nation-wide Workers? Conference took place in Lodz at 6-7
of November 2004. The organisers of the conference were: Lodz and Poznan
sections of Inicjatywa Pracownicza/Federacja Anarchistyczna (IP/FA -
Workers Initiative of Anarchist Federation), Grupa na rzecz Partii
Robotniczej (GPR - Group for Workers Party) and Czerwony Kolektyw ?
Lewicowa Alternatywa (CK-LA - Red Colective ? Left Alternative). In
meeting attended workers-representatives of: Huta Cegielski (Poznan),
Goplana-Nestle (Poznan), Warsztaty Terapii Zajęciowej (Therapy
Workshops, Poznan), Uniontex (Lodz), public transport workers from Warsaw
and Gdansk, ZOZ (medical care centre Elk), Huty Cynku (Zink Blast
Furnance, Miasteczko Slaskie), Prokonstal (Szczecin), SM Mieszko (Lodz),
who represented various trade unions ? Sierpien?80 (August 80) Inicjatywa
Pracownicza (IP - Workers Initiative), Solidarnosc (Solidarity),
Konfederacja Pracy (Confederation of Labour), Związek Zawodowy
Budowlani (Trade Union The Builders), Związek Zawodowy Pracowników
Komunikacji Miejskiej (Trade Union of City Communication Workers). In
conference also took part representatives of OZB (Polish Nation-wide
Unemployed Union) from Elk and Lodz and also associations (of people in
pre-retirement age, ATTAC Poland). Among invited guests were members of
workers? organisations and trade unions from Spain (CGT), Germany (FAU, No
service, Wildcat), Sweden (SAC), USA, Great Britain (TGWU) and Italy. In
meeting attended over 100 people. The media patron of the conference was
Nowy Robotnik (New Worker magazine).

The main subject of the conference was the issue of preparing successful
workers? protests. About the strategy of fight against multinationals
spoke Dominik Sawicki (IP/FA Szczecin), who presented methods of
resistance among McDonalds? workers and Dariusz Skrzypczak
(Goplana-Nestle, Solidarnosc), who referred to the latest Nestles products
boycott.

Foreign guests presented campaigns held by their organisations. Lotta
Holmberg from Swedish anarchosyndicalist trade union SAC and Jesus Reyero
with Angel Bosqued ? Spanish anarchosyndicalists from CGT (General
Confederation of Labour) ? spoke about methods of running a campaign among
emigrants. Participants of the Conference decided, that it is necessary to
start common actions in order to improve the situation of Poles working in
the EU countries. With the support of the west-European trade unions the
information campaign on the workers rights and opportunities of organising
in to trade unions, is going to be prepared and distributed among
potential emigrants (seasonal workers). A brochure has been already
prepared by the IP and German FAU. By the first quarter of the next year
similar info will have been prepared about the situation in Sweden
(co-operation of IP and SAC). Attendants agreed that on april or may 2005
there should be organised common information campaign addressed to polish
sezonal workers and emigrants. This action is also going to be introduced
to workers from the East (Belarus, Ukraine) whose workers? rights are
violated in Poland. This action is going to be prepared by IP and CK-LA.

The subject of local co-operation between workers movement, social
organisations and the unemployed was conferred by Ludwik Olczyk and
Barbara Radziewicz form OZB. Their presented the situation of the
unemployed in Poland. They also talked about the attends of engaging the
unemployed in various organisations in order to overcome their inertia,
especially in small towns. The speakers pointed that it is necessary to
break the neo-liberal propaganda, that attempts to generate a conflict
between workers and the unemployed, stating that the latter are jobless
only because of the workers resistance against liberalisation of the
labour law. Darek Zalega (from New Worker magazine) presented the
situation in Silesia, where various groups are joining miners protests.
Listeners were amused, hearing that these days demonstrations are
supported by those politics, who several years ago treated coal mines as
primitive, giant, ineffective plants.

Next issue was the project of workers councils act. The question of impact
of this law on polish workers was considered, especially because the
workers are almost unorganised (only 14 ? 18 % of them are trade unions
members). The attendants agreed that this act gives only restrained form
of workers participation in company managing. Marcel Szary from H.
Cegielski Poznan pointed that workers mentality and consciousness are
restrained, what can change the act in to completely dead-law. However, it
was stated that the act may start the process of democratisation and
inspire workers to put more attention to their issues. Zbigniew Kowalewski
introduced two models of councils functioning and pointed that especially
in Spain workers councils increase the activity of trade unions?
structures. It was also stated that this kind of solution ? although it is
not very probable to be introduced in Poland ? could activate workers
movement. In summary, it was stated that it is worth to demand as big
competence for the councils as possible.

The last subject of the program was a discussion ?Whether strike is
effective method of a fight for workers rights?? ? with the introduction
of Rob Williams (TGWU and also Committee for Workers International).
Before Robs speech, Florian Nowicki (GPR) pointed the meaning of
workers-strike democracy and its impact on strike?s effectiveness (on the
examples of Fiat in Melfi in Italy and the protests in Ozarow factory).
Rob Williams emphasised that strike is the very effective method of
workers fight. He also showed in brief the history of strikes in Great
Britain in the 80. and 90. (ex. the history of miners strikes) and he
concluded with humorous examples of capitalist economy absurd. Very
interesting debate, which started after Robs? speech, unfortunately ended
too early because of the time limits. In the discussion participated:
Andrzej Smosarski (CK-LA), Darek Zalega (New Worker magazine),
Stanisław Stencel (City Communications Workers Trade Union, Gdansk)
and Thomas (FAU from Germany).

During the conference there was also time to present contemporary
situation of workers, including the fight of Warsaw tram drivers
(described by Grzegorz Kupis from Sierpien? 80) and Uniontex workers
(described by Slawomir Kaczmarek from IP). Christopher Phelps (co-operator
of various magazines ? such as: Against The Current, Monthly Review,
Historical Materialism, Science & Society) briefly told about the
situation of workers movement in US.

Participants agreed that the Fourth Polish Nation-wide Workers? Conference
will be held in June next year in Warsaw and that one of the main issues
considered will be problems and questions about delocalisation ? of
factories and protests. The organising committee was chosen. The Committee
are:

Darek Zalega (New Worker magazine ? Katowice)
Darekzal@xxxxxxxxx
Phone number: 503 168 948

Florian Nowicki (Group for Workers Party - Warsaw)
Flor1@xxxxxxxxx
Phone number: 608 735 889

Sebastian Glica (Workers Initiative of Anarchist Federation - Lodz)
Sebastiangl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Phone number: 698 725 334

Kuba Grzegorczyk (Red Colective ? Left Alternative - Warsaw)
Kgrzegorczyk@xxxxxxxxxx
Phone number: 501 303 351

Grzegorz Kupis (August 80 - Warsaw)
Pawgel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Phone number: 503 187 648

Jaroslaw Urbanski (Workers Initiative of Anarchist Federation - Poznan)
Urbanski@xxxxxxx
Phone number: 601 299 897

Overall cost of the conference was 990 zlotych. The sum included 540 zl
for hotel-fees (paid by participants) and 450 for rent of conference room,
financed by Lodz section of IP/FA from two sources: income from the sell
of CD?s (150 zl) and 300 zl collected from Lodz section of IP/FA members
(20 ? 30 zl per person). Christopher Phelps gave the organisers 100 zl.



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