Anti-socialist course at Solidarity congress By CONRAD KOMOROWSKI : The first part of Solidarity’s National Congress, which just ended after a five-day session, adopted confronta- tional policies aimed at a bid for political power. _ Under anti-socialist pressure, the Congress session declared Solidarity a political party in all but name. It also took the antagonistic step of issuing a call to workers of the Soviet Union and other socialist countries to follow the example set by Solidarity, despite the fact that the confrontational tactics of the organization has led to a sharp decline in the living standard of Polish workers. Trybuna Ludu, organ of the Polish United Workers’ Party, attacked the proclamation as lacking in “elementary realism.”’ j It condemned this call to workers of other countries to follow the anti-socialist example being set by Solidarity’s leadership. Economic crisis deepens Although Polish production is continuing to fall and the economic crisis is deepening, the Solidarity Con- gress concentrated on an internal factional struggle and - attempted to divert from its lack of proposed solutions by waging savage attacks on the government and Polish United Workers’ Party. Andrzej Cilinski, a major adviser to Lech Walesa, top Solidarity leader, has said that ‘‘if nothing is done, in about 200 days we are afraid the country’s economy will Stop functioning altogether.”’ The Solidarity Congress, however, concentrated, under anti-socialist pressure, on political confrontation. Although the Congress claims to speak for ‘‘Polish workers,’’ and claims a membership of 9.5 million, ques- tions have arisen about its real character. Most recently, the organization has declined sharply. A Solidarity spokesman, M. Podgurezyk, said that ‘‘workers com- prise less than 25% of the delegates.” The Soviet TASS agency has reported that “89% of all delegates are salaried employees of the Solidarity ap- paratus.”” Rejected proposals =F Threats to hold a national referendum without regard to the Constitution or parliamentary action were one aspect of the Congress. Demands were made for new elections. On workers’ self-management in factories, the Congress voted to confront the Parliament, in effect, by rejecting the proposals of the government. The issue. goes beyond the right of workers to elect and fire factory managers. The aims of the anti-socialist ele- News Analysis [fo A. sah Mein ah RNIN Kone Sie eae oe UPUREA ments in Solidarity appear to be to strike down the entire socialist planned economic system — a position ap- plauded by the Wall Street Journal. Solidarity has from the beginning refused to par- ticipate in workers’ self-management in the factories, and has refused to participate in planning and other commissions and plans dealing with the economy. It has from the beginning sought to have management under its control, as part of an overall plan against the socialist economy. : The founding congress of Solidarity is being held in two parts. The first session, which began on Sept. 5, ended Sept. 10. The second session, which begins Sept. 26, will continue until October 5. AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland has accepted the invitation of Lech Walesa to attend the second part of the Congress. Kirkland will stay in Poland from Sept. 26 through Sept. 29. 2 Power struggle ~ A major feature of the first part of the Congress was an extended struggle for power, with Lech Walesa ap- parently emerging victorious. The opposition faction advanced a plan to separate the national executive presidium and a body of chairmen of regional organizations. Walesa fought against this separation, and succeeded in winning a vote which would include the regional chairmen in the powerful national union presidium. Walesa argued that this was necessary to keep the tte Although Polish production continues falling and the economic crisis deepens, Solidarity’s congress concen- trated on an internal factional fight and waged a savage attack on the government and PUWP. organization together and increase its effectiveness in the fight ahead. ‘‘It is my dictatorship,’ Walesa exclaimed. Among regional officials opposed to this plan were the more extreme leaders Jan Rulewski and A. Gwiazda. When Walesa won, Rulewski said he was against sitting on the national presidium, although he supported Walesa as “‘supreme chief’ of Solidarity. Another major struggle concerned striking from Sol- idarity’s charter its declaration that it recognizes the leading role of the Polish United Workers Party. It was decided not to strike this out, particularly because it is part of the Gdansk agreement with the government of a year ago. However, the struggle on this issue was not settled, but postponed. Canrad Komorowski, international affairs columnist for the U.S. Daily World visited Poland for several weeks this year. Trade unions — free or In our “‘free capitalist society’’ workers sell their labor power in the corporate market place. The price for this is the cost of their subsistence. Ina word it is what working ~ people have been able to win as a standard of life. A never ending battle takes place between all those who sell their labor power-and those who buy it. It is called the class struggle. Where workers have no unions, and this accounts for More than two-thirds of Canadian working people, they are open to the most savage conditions and minimal Wages. The “free” trade union movement can do little to help these unorganized workers, little or nothing to help the More than one million Canadian jobless, and not much More to assist the older citizens whose living standards are hit by inflation and high interest rates. One need merely examine the action taken ‘by the Polish Solidarity group since its birth one year age to determine which society gives workers more liberties. It has struck at will, received pay for time lost by strikes, had access to the media, involved itself in matters quite _ beyond the realm of collective bargaining including the Tole of the courts, police and almost all areas of society. If Canadian workers were to take such action they would be accused and treated as enemies of the country and handled accordingly. Bs ; Just remember the War Measures Act and its applica- tion by the Trudeau government in 1970, and you are reminded how the Canadian Government treats those who oppose its unjust laws. : ye How about the postal strike, the hospital workers strike, the OPSEU (Ontario Public Service: Employees - Union) jail guards’ strike, the Ontario bush workers’ ‘Strike, just to name a few? Compare the freedom experi- enced by the Polish workers with the treatment accorded the U.S. air controllers or the U.S. postal workers. Freedom is the recognition of necessity and only when workers understand the necessity of ending the capitalist System and replacing it with socialism do they begin the movement from the realm of necessity into the realm of freedom. : “ | Labor in action & William Stewart fettered? In this latter function the Communist Party members in the ‘unions playa major role in providing positive examples and lifting up the elan and enthusiasm of the workers. _ It is precisely in these areas that the Polish United Workers’ Party admits to shortcomings in living up to obligations. Hence, the Polish unions tended to be re- -. garded as helpers of state and partyin achieving produc- Under socialist society all productive property is pub- licly owned. Workers therefore produce for themselves. They are in the real sense, their own bosses. The trade unions in these circumstances have distinctly different functions, different responsibilities, different powers. They participate in the setting of wages and bonuses. They are in control over their work environment. They: administer huge funds for pensions, housing, education, health, culture, sports and vacations. They are involved in almost every aspect of the well being of their mem- bers. They have major input into all government decisions - affecting the material and cultural lives of their members. They wield immense power in all areas of society. Their members are the most numerous of elected representa- tives at all levels of government. Socialist unions are genuinely free unions whose in- fluence and role in society is quantatively richer than their capitalist counterparts. A vital function of socialist trade unions is to protect their members from any abuses by overzealous or un- feeling managers, to see to it that their wages, working conditions, health and job safety are scrupulously pro- tected. Socialism is no ‘‘perfect society’’ and one of the big jobs of trade unions is the protection of its members from its imperfections. ‘ ~ Another of their jobs is the education of their members’ in the spirit of socialism. Overcoming the ideological hangovers of capitalism and winning their members for good work habits as well as a cooperative approach to labor and leisure. tion targets, without enough emphasis on either their protective functions or on education of their members. The PUWP, the government, the Peasant Party, the trade unions and the majority of the Polish people are now trying, and have been for the past year, to rectify those mistakes and establish full socialist economic and political relations, and democracy. Moreover the majority of the members of Solidarity and the Polish Branch Unions support these efforts and do not wish any relations other than socialist relations in Poland. ce The heads of solidarity and those advising it from the sidelines, however, are seeking to take advantage of the mistakes and weaknesses in Poland to wrest it from the socialist world and deliver it back into. the hands of imperialism. Why else would they be opening offices in New York? For what other reasons would they want to ‘‘come to the aid of unions in other socialist countries’’. In the world- wide struggle between socialism and capitalism the lead- ers of solidarity are making it clear that they are on the side of capitalism. Their views coincide with the right- wing leadership of the AFL/CIO and other apologists of imperialism around the world. They have made their choice, let them live with it. Let them not however be allowed to throw dust into the eyes of class conscious workers in Canada or anywhere else, or to provide grist for the mills of the professional anti- communists and reactionary trade union bureaucratic leaders in the U.S. and Canada. . Free trade unions, yes. Free socialist trade unions, not fettered trade unions in a fettered capitalist society. a PACIFIC TRIBUNE—SEPT. 25, 1981—Page 5