11th National Congress

Letter sent by OPZZ to XI National Congress of Delegates of NSZZ "Solidarnosc",
9 December 1999

Delegates for the Congress and Members of NSZZ "Solidarnosc",

After two years of governance of the coalition of Electoral Action of Solidarnosc (AWS) and Union of Freedom (UW), the future of our Fatherland is more and more uncertain, and the situation of large social groups of working people becomes more and more tragic.

The economic growth has significantly decreased. The unemployment increased by half a million of people and the chance to control it becomes smaller and smaller.

The State's finances are threatened, the public debt increases and the proportion between export and import of goods has drastically worsened. This may make Poland loose the chance to accelerate the development.

Four social reforms - badly prepared and even more badly realised - have brought fatal effects. Except for highly paid state and self-government officials we are all carrying unnecessary, high costs of these reforms.

The All-Polish Confederation of Trade Unions warned at the very beginning of the Government of Buzek and Balcerowicz that such occurring might take place. Therefore during our VI Congress we put forward an initiative to ratify Pact for Polish Family which was supposed to ease the effects of the Governmental policy towards the weakest groups of citizens. Unfortunately, your National Commission and the Government created by it made the discussion on this subject impossible. The social dialogue turned into a game of appearances, and the Tripartite Commission is practically liquidated. Therefore, along with all trade unions that treat their mission with respect, we created an Inter-Trade Union Co-ordination Committee struggling for change of social and economic policy of the Government.

Your Government, however, does not want any dialogue. They prefer to shoot rather than to talk.

Restructuring of many important branches such as mining, steel working, light industry, armaments industry, railways, is conducted fatally and leads to liquidation of thousands of working places. It generates huge army of unemployed people along with enormous costs carried by the society. The situation of Polish rural regions is even worse.

The effects of actions of the present Government, disastrous for Poland and the Polish people, may be mentioned on and on: the collapse of Social Insurance Fund, inefficiency of the health funds, sale out of Polish banks, and so on.

NSZZ "Solidarnosc", the leading force of the coalition, is responsible for this situation. NSZZ "Solidarnosc" does not realise its electoral programme, but realises the dogmatic, neoliberal policy of Union of Freedom (UW) and its leader Leszek Balcerowicz - the policy that has been abandoned by all the developed countries, and which is criticised now by its authors like e.g. George Soros. Your Union keeps the protection umbrella over this Government and authorises its actions. Your Union wants to make longer the 8 hour work day which was achieved after many years' struggle for workers' rights in 1918.

This is why you are perceived as a force that was able only to take care of your own financial interests and to ensure that your trade union oligarchy is granted warm, well paid positions.

OPZZ is concerned to see "Solidarnosc" leave the ideals and values that once were the basis of this huge social movement. We are of the opinion that weakening of any trade union strikes at the whole of workers movement and is harmful for working people.

Dear Friends!

In spite of many attempts and efforts we were not able to get your co-operation on the central and regional levels. We are sorry about that. However in the most of companies our organisations are able to co-operate efficiently in the name of the interests of employees. This means that without prejudice Polish trade unions can efficiently protect the workers' interests.

Therefore we appeal to the XI Congress of NSZZ "Solidarnosc", to all its members: stop your leaders!

It is impossible to rebuild the old image of "Solidarnosc". But still there is a chance to make it impossible for the predatory leaders of the present coalition to lead Poland on the way of wild inhuman capitalism. To a big extend it is up to you whether the principle of social justice, so strongly stressed by John Paul II, will be realised.

We wish you fruitful debates.

Resolution at statements:  res_stat.pdf [111.00 kb]