WARSAW — The central issue in the factories here is how the workers are going to achieve their aims — the improvement of their own lives and of their society. The sincerity of the membership of Solidarity is unquestionable. There is general agreement that it is not anti-socialist. Whatever the intentions of some of the officials, the Solidarity membership is seeking to correct mistakes and strengthén socialist democracy, not to weaken it. Solidarity leaders I talked to in factories stressed -this. At the Lenin steel plant in Nowa Huta, the vice-chairman of the Solidarity organization was particularly vehement on this issue. As far as the Solidarity membership is con- cerned, belief in and support of socialism is unquestioned. At the same time, the efforts of anti-socialist elements to use Solidarity aré well known to many Solidarity members and are re- jected by them. The existence of two, and in some places three unions in a plant, might be expected to result in conflict. It undoubtedly has, but in many places the unions cooperate with each other. Workers at the WK UT telecommunications fac- tory in Warsaw explained some advantages and disadvantages of the dual union situation at their plant. It can increase competition in giving service to workers, they said, but it can also weaken the solidarity’s rank and file vs leadership © workers’ unity in presenting demands to and nego- tiations with the factory management. Rank-and-file members of Solidarity are cooperating in production in the factéries and in social life, despite orders from the leadership of Solidarity not to cooperate. At the telecommunications factory in Warsaw, for example, Solidarity leaders have been holding up formation of thé self-governing body and the plan which that body has to ratify. Workers gave other examples of Solidarity officials refusing to cooperate. It seems to be the policy of Solidarity Officials to refuse to permit the organization to take ‘responsibility for production, social tasks of trade unions, and so on. They prefer to be critics, the workers said: While this used to be effective, it is - becoming less so. Workers want a positive policy. Some workers are becoming disillusioned with Solidarity and are increasingly turning to the dants of the old unions — which are establishing a good record of competence and service. Some Solidarity members expected more effective rep- resentation for their interests than they are getting. __ The Polish United Workers Party’s (PUWP) basic party organization in WKUT stares the workers’ view that the test for Solidarity is its effectiveness in serving the workers’ interests. (These views were expressed at a discussion _ with representatives of the management, PUWP, branch union, self-government committee and also Solidarity.) At this factory, where the average age is 30, about half of the Party members joined Soli- darity. Attempts are beirig made to unite trade union efforts. In the Warsaw plant of the telecommunications industry there are 700 PUWP members.and candi- dates, of whom about 300 joined in the last three years. During the recent crisis only 44 PUWP members left voluntarily or were dropped. The economic situation seen at first hand is graver than appears at first glance. At the same time there is a strong determination to fight the situation through and to overcome all difficulties. The people are angry about bureaucracy and costly blunders of the former leadership. There is no doubt they intend this time.to correct matters in a lasting way, fully in keeping with socialist * principles. branch unions — the revived and reformed descen- Burnham steps up repression following Guyana’s ‘election’ TORONTO — Holding up a copy of the official findings of an independent international committee ‘which monitored the Dec. 1980 vote in Guyana, Dr. Cheddi Jagan, leader of the opposition in that coun- try’s parliament charged it backed up his party’s contention that the elections were rigged. Jagan, who is leader of the People’s Progressive Party and former Prime Minister of Guyana, spoke to a press conference here and warned that the election rigging by the ruling People’s National Congress and heightened economic and political repression, unless reversed, will lead to ever-rising public discontent. “*The PNC regime of Forbes Burnham resorted to rigging the vote because it could not win a free and fair election,’’ Jagan said. He read sections of the report which described the government elec- tions committee as ‘‘a toothless poodle of the rul- ing party’. By rigging at home and abroad the PNC claimed 77% of the vote which was held Dec. 15 last year. : Jagan also read the assessment of a recent U.S. State Department report which said human rights standards in Guyana had deteriorated, that repres- sive. police measures are increasing, that the people’s purchasing power has dropped and characterized the recent election as ‘‘not a free and fair test of public opinion’. PPP LEADER CHEDDI JAGAN ... U.S. and Britain extending support to unpopular military regimes. PACIFIC TRIBUNE—MARCH 20, 1981—Page 8 IBUNE PHOTO — TOM MORRIS Guyana’s budget for the military has shot up from $15-million 10 years ago to $139-million today, the regime’s answer to popular discontent. The PPP leader described the serious economic picture faced by Guyana which has seen the price of rice jump 21%, milk powder 27%, electricity and fuel 142% and water rates by 66% in recent months. “The budget for the police,’’ Jagan said, ‘‘has gone up from $15-million in 1970 to $139-million in 1981. This is in anticipation of sharpening struggles by the people against an unpopular, repressive re- gime.”’ Dr. Jagan appealled for the support of Canadians in the period ahead. ‘‘We want to draw it to world attention that our people are uniting against these severe attacks on our living standards and our ” democratic rights.’’ A clear reference to the Reagan administration’s new hard line, Jagan said, “‘you will hear that we are ‘terrorists’, that we are being supplied from outside ...’”’ - In reply to questions about Washington’s heightened activities in Latin America and the Caribbean, Jagan said the more or less ‘‘reformist’’ Carter policy has been replaced by Reagan’s ‘‘big stick’’ methods — ‘‘a rightist, more militarist ap- - proach’’. He spoke about a meeting of minds between the U.S. and Britain in the region to head off popular discontent and change by economic, political and . military support for unpopular regimes. ‘‘The turmoil in the area stems from within,”’ Jagan emphasized. ‘‘It reflects growing mass pres- sures for social change.’’ He quoted former Ven- ezuelan president Carlos Andres Perez who de- scribed the upheavals in Latin America: ‘‘where the electoral road is closed, the people have a right. to use any means to press for change ...’’ Jagan said the PPP will continue to advance its programs and fight for the broadest unity despite growing restrictions by the Burnham government. TRIBUNE PHOTO — TOM MORRIS NO KING PINOCHET . TORONTO — As part of world-wide protests against the “‘corona- tion” of fascist dictator Pinochet in Chile, March 11, demonstrators here marched at the Chilean consulate demanding a return to democracy in that country. Four prominent Canadians, including former Mayor John Sewell, presented a petition to Chilean of-. ficials arguing the new “constitution” brought down by Pinochet will deny all basic human rights to the Chilean people.