Price Rises- Prompt New Ompt

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THROUGHOUT the second stage of the Solidarity Congress, debating and voting was on co-operation with the bureaucracy versus the struggle for workers control. Several resolutions straddled those positions.

This was the case in the leadership elections, reported in SO last week, where the "moderate" Walesa won, but with only 55% of the vote.

The government is consciously using carrot and stick policies in order to push support for this wing and to isolate those driving towards destroying bureaucracy and for establishing the independent power of the working class.

The 'self-management' law that the Sejm (parliament) recently passed -which was no real form of workers' control but had the agreement of Walesa - was voted down.

Cigarette and fish prices were raised during the Congress and pushed price rises right into the centre of debate.

The delegates correctly didn't respond to the cigarette price increases in isolation which were shown to be a diversion from the fact that immediately after the Congress the government announced increases in the price of meat and other basic food stuffs.

What was passed was a resolution against all price rises which threatened a token general strike (mentioned as 15 minutes) to force consultation with the union about further price increases.

This was seized on by the government and they announced a commission which would include repres entatives of the government, Solidarity and the official unions to deal with the problems of supplies, price increases and rationing.

In this way the governby Tony Richardson ment hopes to draw in the Solidarity leadership. They should have nothing to do with such a body, but should demand that they elect controlling bodies that are able to look at all the workings of the economy, and that are independent of the government.

The response to price increases must be strikes and workers' control demands to establish the independence of the working class separate from the bureaucracy.

In a similar vein the Solidarity leadership has elected a kind of countercabinet to the government.

The intention is that each person on this body should negotiate directly with their opposite number the government.

But this will only divert away from the bodies formed in action against the bureaucracy.

Among resolutions passed at the Congress was one demanding legal action against those responsible for the shootings in 1956, 1968, 1970 and 1976 and for those responsible for the economic crisis to be brought to justice.

Solidarity says if the government does not do this, they will form a tribunal and have their own trial.

This is a very serious chal inge to the bureaucrats' judiciary and is a very strong step • towards workers' courts.

So the differences at the Congress show that even the "moderate" wing or the often confused opposition are fully formed and even the leadership is still capable of leading struggles.

What is required is a clear line on the struggle for the independence of the working class and the preparation of a political revolution to overthrow the bureaucracy. This will only take place in the struggle for genuine workers' control.