["THREE-QUARTERS 1L - ine Soldarnosc actIvIsts have been…]

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"THREE-QUARTERS 1L - ine Soldarnosc actIvIsts have been interned, right down to shop steward level... But the resistance is continuing ...In the Ursus plant only two tractors have been produced in two weeks. Everyone supports us .. We're the only force to fight for real democracy and socialism in Poland."

These words came from Piotr Kozlowski, tne Solidarnose convenor at the Ursus tractor plant outside Warsaw, speaking last Saturday at a meeting in Birmingham of over 30 Socialist Organiser supporters active in the TGWU. He continued:

"Poland was a capitalist country before. We're not going back to that. But we're not going for Stalinism as we know what it's like, we want a society where the workers are really responsible for running the country. We would never allow leaders to separate themselves from the working class."

Comrade Kozlowski also spoke out on his call for blacking of Polish imports and exports:

"It is nothing to do with Reagan and Thatcher. We are talking to trade unionists." tallinn to trada anioninto 9 uninn He argued that, although blacking might have a bad effect on supplies to the Polish population, it was the only way that the international working class could show, solidarity with Solidarnose and bring pressure to bear on the Jaruzelski junta.

Speakers from the Jewel Razors strike in Sheffield also addressed the meeting.

They are fighting the victimisation of their convenor, and called on TGWU members to organise blacking, financial support, messages of support and to ensure that TGWU members didn't cross their picket lines.

Opportunities

They demonstrated that international solidarity with Polish trade unionists is not just a slogan when they agreed to give their half of the collection to support the work of the Solidarity Trade Union Working Group, which is organising speaking tours for Piotr Kozlowski and other exiled Solidarity activists.

The meeting was an attempt to draw together TGWU militants supporting Socialist Organiser and provide a national framework for their work in the union.

The structure and rules of the TGWU-with members in ditterent Kegions and 1 Pr trade groups kept isolated from one another -leave vast power in the hands of the full-time officials and makes union-wide rank and file organisation difficult.

The meeting agreed that the present situation in the TGWU provided both opportunities and dangers for revolutionaries.

The Left Labour/Communist Party leadership is in some disarray at a time when both the 'lefts' Kitson and Todd are clearly seen to have sold out major struggles against the government.

The 'left' leaders are also facing a massive loss of membership and are caught between the need to preserve the basis of their own power and their unwillingness to lead a fight against unemployment.

Invisible

There was considerable discussion of how rank and file organisation could best be built in the unions.

On Merseyside, coordinating committees have been set up made up 100% of rank and file delegates from branches.

This sort of organisation is usually blocked by the officials, who possess all defined by the rules.

To push for changes in the union, some kind of Broad Left organisation is needed. It was clear 'that the Broad Left differs radically from one Region to another. In Region 5, it was set up on the initiative of militants in the Midlands and, although it is not a mass body, it contains representative rank and file militants from a number of important sectors of industry.

In Region 1 the Broad Left is simply an electoral machine which consists entirely of officials, is invisible to ordinary members and does not meet publicly.

The meeting agreed that the creation or opening up of really representațive Broad Left bodies should be a major priority for so supporters in the TGWU. We also discussed how to make the TGWU habitable and attractive for the unemployed and which changes to the rules were necessary to make the TGWU democratic.

SO supporters are in a position to play a major role in the tight for rank and file organisation and a democratic union. We are organising another meeting in March. For futher details, write to Socialist Organiser, 28 Middle Lane, London N8.