________________________________September 1980 – September 2010:Solidarity and the struggle for democracy in Poland________________________________

In consequence of strongly rising food prices in July 1980 strikes broke out throughout the country. In August 1980 workers at the Lenin Shipyard in the city of Gdansk join the strikes. While many strikers are clamed down by higher wages, the striking employees led by Lech Walesa, a shipyard electrician, and other earlier worker protestors decide to continue the strike by occupying the shipyard instead of marching towards the city and confronting state troops. Spreading news of their action to other enterprises on the Baltic coast, they organize an inter-factory strike committee (MKS) with Lech Walesa as its elected head, to negotiate with party leaders and demand that the talks would be broadcasted on television. By late August the MKS represents 400,000 workers. On August 23 of 1980 Communist Party negotiators arrive at Lenin Shipyard to begin talks with the strike committee. The committee presents 21 demands being the right to form free trade unions the highest priority. Due to the critical inner political situation of Poland back then, mainly political and economical instability, the regime finally agrees to most of their demands such as the formation of free unions, the

increase of wages and the limits on censorship. On September 17 of 1980 the nationwide independent trade union, Solidarity, is established. At its first national congress in the fall of 1981 its members promote "self-management" in all areas of society including the establishment of democratic local governments, independent judges, and equal protection under the law. Solidarity calls for a national day of protest, linked with a call for referendum amounting to a vote of "no confidence" in General Jaruzelski and the Party. Under Soviet pressure, the state suspends free unions, arrests Walesa and most of Solidarity's national commission and censors the media. A new generation of striking workers accelerates the final breakdown. After several years of underground resistance by Solidarity, the Communist Party is forced to invite Solidarity to help them reconstruct the Polish nation on the basis of a different, multiparty democratic model. Finally on June 4 of 1989 Solidarity wins control of the government in free elections.This makes Poland the first member of the Soviet bloc to establish a non-Communist government. The talks in 1989 between the Communist Party authorities and Solidarity opposition movement paved the way for democracy, free elections and a free market economy. Poland joined NATO in 1999, and in 2004 became part of the European Union.

Author: C.L.