fbpx
Wikipedia

Upper Silesia 1980 strikes

March 10, 2024

The Upper Silesia 1980 strikes were widespread strikes, which took place mostly in the Upper Silesian mining cities Jastrzębie-Zdrój, Wodzisław Śląski and Ruda Śląska and its surroundings, during late August and early September 1980. They forced the Government of People's Republic of Poland to sign the last of three agreements establishing the Solidarity trade union. Earlier, agreements had been signed in Gdańsk and Szczecin. The Jastrzębie Agreement, signed on September 3, 1980, ended Saturday and Sunday work for miners, a concession that Government leaders later said cut deeply into Poland's export earnings.[1]

Background edit

On August 14, 1980, workers of the Vladimir Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk began a strike, demanding not only an increase in salaries, but also rehiring of Anna Walentynowicz and Lech Wałęsa, as well as the according of respect to workers' rights and other social concerns. Furthermore, they called for the legalization of independent trade unions.[2] A Strike Committee, led by Wałęsa, was organized and the workers did not leave the shipyard, deciding to stay there for the night. Later, on the Strike Committee was turned into the City Strike Committee, also headed by Wałęsa.

In the following days, the strike spread to a growing number of factories all across the country, with numerous Inter-Enterprise Strike Committees (MKS) created in Szczecin, Wrocław, Wałbrzych, and other cities. By the end of August 1980, the protests reached Upper Silesian coal mines. The center of the protests in Upper Silesia was the Manifest Lipcowy Coal Mine in Jastrzębie-Zdrój, where the strike broke out on August 28.[3] In August 1980, this mine employed some 10,000 people.

The strikes in Upper Silesia edit

The strike in Jastrzębie began when 1,000 of the staff of the Manifest Lipcowy mine did not begin the night shift, spurred by the news from Gdańsk, conveyed to them by Stefan Palka, future leader of the strike. According to the witnesses, right before going under the ground, someone in the crowd yelled: "Other mines in the area are already striking, what are we waiting for?"[4] This information was false, but the strike nevertheless began. Within the next few hours, a Strike Committee was elected, headed by Palka. It demanded talks with the director of the mine, Władysław Duda. The "arrogant" Duda agreed, but during negotiations, he started insulting the workers, which heated up the situation. Therefore, he was asked to leave and talks were terminated.[5]

The strike in the Manifest Lipcowy mine was directly connected with catastrophic situation of the miners and poor working conditions. As the strikers recollected in 2008,(please check the year) at the beginning, few of them thought about politics. They complained about lack of gloves, work boots and basic tools.[6] They also claim that the strike could have been broken on the second day, had it not been for their wives and children, since units of the ZOMO surrounded the mine, and did not let anybody in and out. Only children with food parcels were allowed to come close to the fence. "Their support was like a shot of adrenaline to us, we knew that we were not alone" - recollected a miner 28 years later.[7] A few hours after the Manifest Lipcowy mine, the XXX-lecia PRL mine also began the strike.

Since all mass-media was firmly controlled by the government, the workers of the Manifest Lipcowy mine turned for help to a local Roman Catholic church. Their delegation came to the church on August 29, at 6:30 in the morning, and asked the parish priest, Rev. Bernard Czernecki, to inform the faithful about the protest. Czernecki, as well as all local priests, agreed, and during Mass, they told all worshipers about the strike, promising all the help they needed.[8] Also, the priests handed leaders of the strike their rosaries. These can be seen in archival photos of the Jastrzębie Agreement negotiations, as workers wore them on their necks.

Interfactory Strike Committee edit

The next morning, a mixed, government-party delegation came to the mine and tried to convince the workers that the strike was senseless. The talks were fruitless, and in the meantime, further local factories joined the protest. On August 30, the first Upper Silesian Inter-Enterprise Strike Committee was created, initially with 20 members,[9] based in the Manifest Lipcowy mine. By September 2, the Committee gathered more than fifty striking factories, including, among others, such companies, as:[10]

Their demands included abolition of the four-shift work system in the mining industry as "detrimental to the family" and the introduction of Saturdays and Sundays off. The demand to establish free trade unions, based on the 21 demands of MKS, was also added[11] and Stefan Palka became the leader of the protest.[12] However, Jastrzębie's workers added to the Gdańsk demands several specific issues associated with the situation in the mining industry.[13]

Apart from the mines mentioned above, several other companies joined the strike - The Enterprise of Mining Works, Voivodeship's Communications Authority, Communal Services, local mail offices, as well as teachers from city's schools. According to Jarosław Neja, a historian from the Institute of National Remembrance, in late August and early September 1980, 272 Upper Silesian factories went on strike, with around 900 000 employees. First strike in that area took place in the FAZOS company in Tarnowskie Góry on August 21, 1980 and lasted for three days.[14]

Negotiations and agreement edit

The negotiations started on September 2, 1980. Delegation of the government was headed by Deputy Prime Minister Aleksander Kopec (who later signed the agreement), the strikers were headed by Jarosław Sienkiewicz, chairman of the Inter-Enterprise Strike Committee. Workers of the Manifest Lipcowy mine recollect that in early days of September they doubted achieving a success, as a few days earlier, strikers in Gdańsk and Szczecin had signed their agreements and the miners were left alone. "We wanted our protest to be highlighted in the mass-media, especially TV, but we were ignored" - said Leopold Sobczyński of the Manifest Lipcowy mine.[15]

Talks with the government were very heated and lasted fifteen hours. Finally, the Jastrzębie Agreement, the third of the 1980 agreements between Polish workers and the government, was signed on September 3, at 5:40 am. Furthermore, agreements were signed in other striking centers of Upper Silesia and Zagłębie - Fabryka Samochodów Małolitrażowych in Tychy, Katowice Steel Mill in Dąbrowa Górnicza, in Bytom, Siemianowice Śląskie, and Tarnowskie Góry. Therefore, six independent Inter-Enterprise Founding Committees were created in the Upper Silesia-Zagłębie region, they were united in July 1981.[16]

The Jastrzębie Agreement was the last of three agreements establishing the independent Solidarity trade union, with earlier ones having been signed in Gdańsk and Szczecin. Apart from creation of Solidarity, it ended all Saturday and Sunday work for miners. The three agreements collectively were called the "new social contract".[17] Known collectively as the Gdańsk Accords, they contained a number of state concessions, including the formation of independent trade unions, wage increases, an increase in the meat supply, and increased access to the mass media by both Solidarity and the Catholic Church.[18]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ The New York Times, "Thousands Strike Major Coal Mine in Poland", by John Tagliabue
  2. ^ William D Perdue, Paradox of Change: The Rise and Fall of Solidarity in the New Poland p.39
  3. ^ Warsaw Voice, Solidarity 1980-81 Archived 2012-09-17 at archive.today
  4. ^ Jastrzębie 1980 events - chronology
  5. ^ Jastrzębie 1980 events - chronology
  6. ^ Remembering the women that saved the strike
  7. ^ Remembering the women that saved the strike
  8. ^ Bytom - our city, Jastrzębie Agreement
  9. ^ Commemoration event, official webpage of the city of Jastrzębie Zdrój[permanent dead link]
  10. ^ Jastrzębie Agreement, September 3, 1980
  11. ^ Warsaw Voice, Solidarity 1980-81 Archived 2012-09-17 at archive.today
  12. ^ Commemoration event, official webpage of the city of Jastrzębie-Zdrój[permanent dead link]
  13. ^ Europe Since 1945 By Bernard A. Cook, page 995
  14. ^ Bytom - our city, Jastrzębie Agreement
  15. ^ Bytom - our city, Jastrzębie Agreement
  16. ^ Warsaw Voice, Solidarity 1980-81 Archived 2012-09-17 at archive.today
  17. ^ Constitutionalism and Rights by Louis, page 302
  18. ^ The Rise and Fall of the Brezhnev Doctrine, page 138

External links edit

March 10, 2024
upper, silesia, 1980, strikes, were, widespread, strikes, which, took, place, mostly, upper, silesian, mining, cities, jastrzębie, zdrój, wodzisław, Śląski, ruda, Śląska, surroundings, during, late, august, early, september, 1980, they, forced, government, peo. The Upper Silesia 1980 strikes were widespread strikes which took place mostly in the Upper Silesian mining cities Jastrzebie Zdroj Wodzislaw Slaski and Ruda Slaska and its surroundings during late August and early September 1980 They forced the Government of People s Republic of Poland to sign the last of three agreements establishing the Solidarity trade union Earlier agreements had been signed in Gdansk and Szczecin The Jastrzebie Agreement signed on September 3 1980 ended Saturday and Sunday work for miners a concession that Government leaders later said cut deeply into Poland s export earnings 1 Contents 1 Background 2 The strikes in Upper Silesia 3 Interfactory Strike Committee 4 Negotiations and agreement 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksBackground editOn August 14 1980 workers of the Vladimir Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk began a strike demanding not only an increase in salaries but also rehiring of Anna Walentynowicz and Lech Walesa as well as the according of respect to workers rights and other social concerns Furthermore they called for the legalization of independent trade unions 2 A Strike Committee led by Walesa was organized and the workers did not leave the shipyard deciding to stay there for the night Later on the Strike Committee was turned into the City Strike Committee also headed by Walesa In the following days the strike spread to a growing number of factories all across the country with numerous Inter Enterprise Strike Committees MKS created in Szczecin Wroclaw Walbrzych and other cities By the end of August 1980 the protests reached Upper Silesian coal mines The center of the protests in Upper Silesia was the Manifest Lipcowy Coal Mine in Jastrzebie Zdroj where the strike broke out on August 28 3 In August 1980 this mine employed some 10 000 people The strikes in Upper Silesia editThe strike in Jastrzebie began when 1 000 of the staff of the Manifest Lipcowy mine did not begin the night shift spurred by the news from Gdansk conveyed to them by Stefan Palka future leader of the strike According to the witnesses right before going under the ground someone in the crowd yelled Other mines in the area are already striking what are we waiting for 4 This information was false but the strike nevertheless began Within the next few hours a Strike Committee was elected headed by Palka It demanded talks with the director of the mine Wladyslaw Duda The arrogant Duda agreed but during negotiations he started insulting the workers which heated up the situation Therefore he was asked to leave and talks were terminated 5 The strike in the Manifest Lipcowy mine was directly connected with catastrophic situation of the miners and poor working conditions As the strikers recollected in 2008 please check the year at the beginning few of them thought about politics They complained about lack of gloves work boots and basic tools 6 They also claim that the strike could have been broken on the second day had it not been for their wives and children since units of the ZOMO surrounded the mine and did not let anybody in and out Only children with food parcels were allowed to come close to the fence Their support was like a shot of adrenaline to us we knew that we were not alone recollected a miner 28 years later 7 A few hours after the Manifest Lipcowy mine the XXX lecia PRL mine also began the strike Since all mass media was firmly controlled by the government the workers of the Manifest Lipcowy mine turned for help to a local Roman Catholic church Their delegation came to the church on August 29 at 6 30 in the morning and asked the parish priest Rev Bernard Czernecki to inform the faithful about the protest Czernecki as well as all local priests agreed and during Mass they told all worshipers about the strike promising all the help they needed 8 Also the priests handed leaders of the strike their rosaries These can be seen in archival photos of the Jastrzebie Agreement negotiations as workers wore them on their necks Interfactory Strike Committee editThe next morning a mixed government party delegation came to the mine and tried to convince the workers that the strike was senseless The talks were fruitless and in the meantime further local factories joined the protest On August 30 the first Upper Silesian Inter Enterprise Strike Committee was created initially with 20 members 9 based in the Manifest Lipcowy mine By September 2 the Committee gathered more than fifty striking factories including among others such companies as 10 Manifest Lipcowy coal mine in Jastrzebie Borynia coal mine in Jastrzebie Mszana Swierklany and Pawlowice Jastrzebie coal mine in Jastrzebie Mszana Moszczenica coal mine pl in Moszczenica Jastrzebie Zdroj ZMP coal mine in Zory Roj Suszec coal mine in Suszec XXX lecia PRL coal mine in Pawlowice Slaskie Rymer coal mine in Rybnik Niedobczyce Anna coal mine in Wodzislaw Slaski Pszow 1 Maja coal mine in Wodzislaw Slaski Wilchwy Boleslaw Smialy coal mine in Laziska Gorne Marcel coal mine in Wodzislaw Slaski Radlin Wujek coal mine in Katowice Brynow Julian coal mine in Piekary Slaskie Rydultowy coal mine in Wodzislaw Slaski Rydultowy Piast coal mine in Bierun Kaczyce coal mine in Kaczyce Slask coal mine in Ruda Slaska Kochlowice Janina coal mine in Libiaz Staszic coal mine in Katowice Giszowiec Polska coal mine in Swietochlowice Zgoda Wieczorek coal mine in Katowice Janow Halemba coal mine in Ruda Slaska Halemba Zabrze coal mine in Zabrze Bielszowice Katowice coal mine in Katowice Bogucice Brzeszcze coal mine in Brzeszcze and Czechowice Dziedzice Pokoj coal mine in Ruda Slaska Nowy Bytom Nowy Wirek coal mine in Ruda Slaska Kochlowice Their demands included abolition of the four shift work system in the mining industry as detrimental to the family and the introduction of Saturdays and Sundays off The demand to establish free trade unions based on the 21 demands of MKS was also added 11 and Stefan Palka became the leader of the protest 12 However Jastrzebie s workers added to the Gdansk demands several specific issues associated with the situation in the mining industry 13 Apart from the mines mentioned above several other companies joined the strike The Enterprise of Mining Works Voivodeship s Communications Authority Communal Services local mail offices as well as teachers from city s schools According to Jaroslaw Neja a historian from the Institute of National Remembrance in late August and early September 1980 272 Upper Silesian factories went on strike with around 900 000 employees First strike in that area took place in the FAZOS company in Tarnowskie Gory on August 21 1980 and lasted for three days 14 Negotiations and agreement editThe negotiations started on September 2 1980 Delegation of the government was headed by Deputy Prime Minister Aleksander Kopec who later signed the agreement the strikers were headed by Jaroslaw Sienkiewicz chairman of the Inter Enterprise Strike Committee Workers of the Manifest Lipcowy mine recollect that in early days of September they doubted achieving a success as a few days earlier strikers in Gdansk and Szczecin had signed their agreements and the miners were left alone We wanted our protest to be highlighted in the mass media especially TV but we were ignored said Leopold Sobczynski of the Manifest Lipcowy mine 15 Talks with the government were very heated and lasted fifteen hours Finally the Jastrzebie Agreement the third of the 1980 agreements between Polish workers and the government was signed on September 3 at 5 40 am Furthermore agreements were signed in other striking centers of Upper Silesia and Zaglebie Fabryka Samochodow Malolitrazowych in Tychy Katowice Steel Mill in Dabrowa Gornicza in Bytom Siemianowice Slaskie and Tarnowskie Gory Therefore six independent Inter Enterprise Founding Committees were created in the Upper Silesia Zaglebie region they were united in July 1981 16 The Jastrzebie Agreement was the last of three agreements establishing the independent Solidarity trade union with earlier ones having been signed in Gdansk and Szczecin Apart from creation of Solidarity it ended all Saturday and Sunday work for miners The three agreements collectively were called the new social contract 17 Known collectively as the Gdansk Accords they contained a number of state concessions including the formation of independent trade unions wage increases an increase in the meat supply and increased access to the mass media by both Solidarity and the Catholic Church 18 See also editLublin 1980 strikes Summer 1981 hunger demonstrations in Poland 1981 warning strike in Poland 1981 strike at Piast Coal Mine in Bierun 1988 Polish strikesReferences edit The New York Times Thousands Strike Major Coal Mine in Poland by John Tagliabue William D Perdue Paradox of Change The Rise and Fall of Solidarity in the New Poland p 39 Warsaw Voice Solidarity 1980 81 Archived 2012 09 17 at archive today Jastrzebie 1980 events chronology Jastrzebie 1980 events chronology Remembering the women that saved the strike Remembering the women that saved the strike Bytom our city Jastrzebie Agreement Commemoration event official webpage of the city of Jastrzebie Zdroj permanent dead link Jastrzebie Agreement September 3 1980 Warsaw Voice Solidarity 1980 81 Archived 2012 09 17 at archive today Commemoration event official webpage of the city of Jastrzebie Zdroj permanent dead link Europe Since 1945 By Bernard A Cook page 995 Bytom our city Jastrzebie Agreement Bytom our city Jastrzebie Agreement Warsaw Voice Solidarity 1980 81 Archived 2012 09 17 at archive today Constitutionalism and Rights by Louis page 302 The Rise and Fall of the Brezhnev Doctrine page 138External links edit Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Upper Silesia 1980 strikes amp oldid 1184493280, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.