Cooperation, not chaos answer to Polish crisis The material below on the Polish government’s efforts to revitalize Polish society and its planning to overcome the country’s economic crisis was written prior to last week’s provocative actions which re- sulted in three deaths and an attempt by counter- revolutionary forces to create social chaos. At Tribune press time press reports are that some 4,000 persons are detained following riots organized by anti-socialist grouping Committee for Social Self-Defence (KOR). Polish authorities feport that legal action is now under way against KOR leaders. The demonstrations in several cities were “‘disappointingly small’’ according to “activists” quoted in the Western press, reflecting the fact that the mass of the Polish people reject provocations and are opting for social dialogue and cooperation to solve the country’s problems. * * % By MARVIN GLASS OTTAWA — “‘We must find the causes of our former and present economic difficulties and dis- cover the leverage necessary for getting out of these difficulties.’ This was the major concern expressed by the Polish Ambassador to Canada, Pawlak Stanislaw at a recent press conference here. It was clear, he said, that natural and human resources have not been used wisely enough. In partiuclar, he noted the low productivity of Polish workers and the poor managerial skills in the coun- try. **Economic reforms must be aimed at economic rationality and the involvement of workers in the self-governing of plants and production,’’ said Stanislaw. Yet, the government faced a dilemma of how to give individual plants autonomy and yet preserve state ownership. ‘“‘We are instituting revolutionary changes in the managing of the economy by making each state enterprise self- governing and self-financing.” Self-governing Factories The main governing body of each factory will be an elected workers’ council which will vote, by secret ballot, on yearly and long term factory plans; the division of income within the factory; house building for factory employees and the gen- eral director of the factory (with some exceptions). More local independence will also be guaranteed by last month’s measures to eliminate an inter- mediary group of economic planners and to reduce the number of government economic ministers. Banks will also be given more autonomy to finance industries on the basis of the productivity of par- ticular industries. : Pricing policy will be changing, said Stanislaw. Initially, prices had to be adjusted to the world market. This marks a departure from the old policy where the government guaranteed many prices at their 1950 level. New prices will be introduced according to both world prices and productivity: This will mean a lowering in the Polish standard of living. *‘There is no other way,”’ he said. ‘‘We have to live according to our means and productivity. But these reforms must be conducted so as to ensure that the lower income sectors of our work- ers do not suffer.”’ ; Role of Trade Unions The Ambassador then turned to the question of the revitalization of the trade unions. He said that discussions are continuing governed by two prin- ~ ciples. First, the trade unions must become and remain independent of the state. Secondly, the trade unions ‘‘must be trade unions and not politi- cal parties.’’ As martial law still exists, social commissions are now acting as trade unions but as a temporary arrangement. On martial law, the Ambassadorsaid it was now even Clearer than before that civil war and anarchy had been avoided. ‘Overall, the measures were lenient and only sporatic revolting resulted.’ Of the 7,000 people originally detained all but 600 have been released. The government has been broaden- ing its coalition of political forces, especially with some Catholic groups in parliament. Many high political posts have been given to members of these groups. ¢ Turning to the issue of economic sanctions against Poland by some governments, the Am- bassador said that these must be dropped. ‘‘We expect free competition between nations in their economic life.’” Poland is angered and hampered by cut off trade credits, demands for hard currency on imports, and the refusal to renegotiate foreign debts. But, he added, the Polish government refuses to accept political preconditions to the repayment of the foreign debt. For example, NATO’s demand for an immediate end to martial law would lead to an internal situation which would be incompatible with repayment of the debt. *‘The situation will be relaxed according to internal conditions in Poland.”’ Nine years after Chile coup crisiS, repression continue Repression in Chile continues as the 9th anniversary of the mili- tary coup which brought General Pinochet to power on Sept. 11, 1973 approaches. In the latest action by the re- gim’s secret police (CNI), the of- fices of the Committee for the De- fence of the Rights of the People (CODEPU) were broken into and 14 persons arrested. At this writ- ing it is unclear how many are still in custody. CODEPU’s office in downtown Santiago was then set afire. ; The organization, an umbrella group encompassing women’s, workers, youth, slum dwellers and student groups and families of political prisoners, has issued an urgent appeal for material aid and announced it will continue its work. International pressure on the regime is also requested to en- sure the release of persons ar- rested in this latest raid. CODEPU has been particularly active in recent months working among Santiago’s slumdwellers whose lives under the military junta are becoming increasingly desperate. It is estimated that al- most one-third of the capital’s four million people live in the sprawling slums which ring the city. : Nine years of Pinochet dictatorship have seen the cost- of-living soar, the peso devalued repeatedly and unemployment reach an official figure of 21%. In construction and mining, the job- less figure has now reached 60%. The country owes a staggering $10.5-billion to foreign banks and saw its floating peso drop in Au- gust to 55% of the July rate. The economic crisis coupled with the absence of civil and human rights has also brought with it more popular resistance and a growing disaffection toward the junta by some of its traditional supporters. Although banned, public PACIFIC TRIBUNE— SEPTEMBER 10, 1982—Page 8 demonstrations are taking place, the latest by 5,000 slumdwellers in ' front of Pinochet’s presidential palace last week. Other visible acts of resistance include the bombing of a main power station in Valparaiso this summer. According to a Canadian re- cently returned from Chile, the people are fighting back. ‘‘There are slogans, symbols and mes- Sages everywhere against the dictatorship which are replaced as soon as they’re painted over,”’ she said. ‘“‘There are marches, cultural events and clandestine publications.”’ Canadians wishing to assist materially in the ongoing struggle of the Chilean people against the dictatorship may do so financially via Chile Democratico, Postal Box 370, Station J, Toronto M4J 4X8. Cables protesting the arrests of CODEPU personnel should be sent to: Minister of the Interior, Edificio Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile. U.S. ‘new beginning’ fy Sebi violation | 0 + Palestinian rights The “‘new beginning’ President Reagan called for to bring 2 ¥ lasting peace to the'Middle East isthe same old U.S. policy which » brought on the latest crisis there. The Camp David accord will be continued, he said. That isthe | accord which led to the U.S.-backed Israeli aggression against f Lebanon. That accord spoke of autonomy for the Palestinians under Israeli control. This was spelled out to mean the Palestinians ef would have only the powers of a municipal council. ferent. The Reagan Administration and the Begin Government hope ig they can find some Uncle Tom to sell out the rights of the Palestinian Arab people. This is the kind of autonomy they talk about. Where then is the ‘‘new beginning’’? President Reagan and the Israeli Government both say they 7: will never agree to the establishment of an independent Pales- | tinian State. Never, however, is a strong word. Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon also said ‘‘never’’ toa a: united Vietnam. Where are they now? And where is Vietnam? What arrogance for the President of the USA to tell. a people | they have no right to a home of their own! What hypocrisy to © claim the USA stands for freedom for the peoples! __ The impression being created is that there are fundamental differences between Reagan and Begin. This is far from the truth. Each supports the other to achieve what they want in the Middle East. For U.S. imperialism, it is oil and military strategic aims. For the Israeli Zionists it is territorial annexations and markets, all at the expense of the Arab peoples. Washington is striving to appear ‘‘even handed”’ and ‘‘fair’”’ with the hope it can hold on to dwindling support among those Arab countries which really believed the U.S. would bring peace to the Middle East. Everyone. can now see the results in a destroyed Beirut, the destruction of other cities, thousands killed, thousands maimed, hundreds of thousands made homeless. These are the fruits of Camp David. This is how U.S. imperial- | ism brought peace to the Middle East. __ There is need for a new beginning but not the beginning President Reagan speaks about. wf The world now knows the reason for the crisis in the Middle — East and who is responsible for it — U.S. imperialism and the Israeli government. It has seen the courageous battle waged by a4 President Reagan’s latest autonomy ploy is not much dif. : the PLO and Lebanese National Patriotic Movement in defense | | of Lebanon and the national rights of the Palestinian Arab people. The world now should know there can be no peace and will be no peace in the Middle East until the right of the Palestinian Arab people to self determination and an independent state, iS. fully satisfied. The world should also know that the PLO is the sole represen: tative of the Palestinian Arab people. The Canadian Government should speak up against Reagan’s — “new beginning” ahd for the right of the Palestinian Arab people to an independent state. Central Executive Committee, Communist Party of Canada.