The Revolution of 1980/81 and Solidarity.

1. The Revolution of 1980/81 and Solidarity. Meeting13.

3. 1980 1 January – introduction of limitation of energy for state companies signailzes serious economic problems 9 February – Main Statistical Office (GUS) announces the drop of GDP by 2 % 18 February – p.m. Piotr Jaroszewicz changed for Edward Babiuch March – elections to the parliament 18 March – Walenty Badylak (70 years old) commits suicide through self burning in the Kraków Market Square 18-19 May – meeting between Breshnev and Giscard d’Estaing in Warsaw arranged by Gierek 1 July– price increase of “some assortments of meat” 1 July– strikes in Ursus, Tczew, Tarnów, Sanok, Mielec. Rzeszów and other cities 16-20 July – strikes start in Lublin leading to general strike in the city Authorities manage to suppress strikes in some factories through wage increase July – strikes spread – 177 factories went on strike in July – about 80,000 workers

4. 14 August – Lenin shipyard in Gdańsk starts to strike 15 August – strikes spread 16 August – Interfactory Strike Committee called to life under the leadership of Wałęsa (by 20 August 304 companies join the committee) 17 August – shipyard in solidarity with others continues strike; 21 postulates formulated and presented to authorities on 18th 18 August – first discussions on force solutions – military suppression of strikes 20 August – solidarity strikes in other parts of Poland 21 August– governmental committee starts negotiations (vicepremier Mieczysław Jagielski) 23 August – general strike at seashore (Gdańsk) 24 August – Intellectuals form Committee of Experts (Mazowiecki)

7. 21 Demands 1. Acceptance of free trade unions independent of the Communist Party and of enterprises, in accordance with convention No. 87 of the International Labor Organization concerning the right to form free trade unions. 2. A guarantee of the right to strike and of the security of strikers. 3. Compliance with the constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech, the press and publication, including freedom for independent publishers, and the availability of the mass media to representatives of all faiths. 4. A return of former rights to: 1) People dismissed from work after the 1970 and 1976 strikes. 2) Students expelled because of their views. The release of all political prisoners, among them Edmund Zadrozynski, Jan Kozlowski, and Marek Kozlowski. A halt in repression of the individual because of personal conviction. 5. Availability to the mass media of information about the formation of the Inter-factory Strike Committee and publication of its demands.

8. 6. Bringing the country out of its crisis situation by the following means: a) making public complete information about the social-economic situation. b) enabling all social classes to take part in discussion of the reform programme. 7. Compensation of all workers taking part in the strike for the period of the strike. 8. An increase in the pay of each worker by 2,000 złoty a month. 9. Guaranteed automatic increases in pay on the basis of increases in prices and the decline in real income. 10. A full supply of food products for the domestic market, with exports limited to surpluses. 11. The introduction of food coupons for meat and meat products (until the market stabilizes). 12. The abolition of commercial prices and sales for Western currencies in the so-called internal export companies. 13. Selection of management personnel on the basis of qualifications, not party membership, and elimination of privileges for the state police, security service, and party apparatus by equalization of family allowances and elimination of special sales, etc. 14. Reduction in the age for retirement for women to 50 and for men to 55, or (regardless of age) after working for 30 years (for women) or 35 years (for men).

9. 15. Conformity of old-age pensions and annuities with what has actually been paid in. 16. Improvements in the working conditions of the health service. 17. Assurances of a reasonable number of places in day-care centers and kindergartens for the children of working mothers. 18. Paid maternity leave for three years. 19. A decrease in the waiting period for apartments. 20. An increase in the commuter’s allowance to 100 złoty. 21. A day of rest on Saturday. Workers in the brigade system or round-the-clock jobs are to be compensated for the loss of free Saturdays with increased leave or other paid time off.

13. 29 August – solidarity strike in Jastrzębie (coal mine) 30 August– agreement signed in Szczecin (Kazimierz Barcikowski, Stefan Jurczyk) 31 August – agreement signed in Gdańsk (Jagielski, Lech Wałęsa) –agreement allows for free, independent trade unions to be formed 3 September – agreement signed in Jastrzębie It is assumed that about 750000 Poles took part in the summer strikes.

16. 5/6 September– plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the PZPR; Stanisław Kania replaces Edward Gierek as 1st secretary Gierek is said to have had a heart attack September – spontaneous forming of independent labour unions throughout Poland 17 September – decision to organize one labour union under the leadership of Wałęsa – SOLIDARITY (already 3,5 million people have declared access to the new union) 21 September – peasants/farmers form a registration committee 24 September – Warsaw Voivode Court receives a petition to legalize „Solidarity”, but rejects it 9 October – Czesław Miłosz receives Nobel Prize for literature 29 October – Attempts to register Farmers’ Solidarity 10 November– Solidarity registered

17. November – numerous local conflicts between workers (Solidarity) and the authorities 1-3 December– Wojciech Jaruzelski starts to work on a military plan to suppress Solidarity following threats from Moscow and other states 2 December – Gierek removed from the Party 3 December – Carter’s wire to Breshnev warns him against possible intervention in Poland 5 December – Warsaw Pact meeting in Moscow; Jaruzelski presents plans to suppress Solidarity 16 December – the Gdańsk monument opened

19. 1981 2 January – farmers start a strike in Rzeszów, Nowy Sącz and other places 21 January – 17 February – student strikes – ended after registration of NZS 30 January – agreement reached concerning free Saturdays and Solidarity access to mass media 11 February – Jaruzelski becomes premier (his appeal for 90 peaceful days) 18 February – independent student union legalized (NZS) 19 February – agreement signed with farmers 28 February – rationing of meat and other products announced (from 1 April) 8-9 March – Farmers’ Solidarity called to life 19 March– three Solidarity activists beaten up in Bydgoszcz – a provocation – threat of a general strike 27 March – the largest 4-hour general strike in Polish history April – Solidarity numbers 7-8 mln.

22. 3 April – first edition of Solidarity weekly appears 22 April – decision about rationing of butter and flour products 12 May – Farmers’ Solidarity registered 13 May – attempt to assassinate John Paul II in Rome 28 May – primate of Poland, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński dies July – IX Congress of PZPR; Stanisław Kania ramains 1st Secretary 30 July – hunger marches in various Polish cities 3-5 August – Solidarity blocks the center of Warsaw 6 August – negotiations between Solidarity and government (Party) broken 14 August – Kania and Jaruzelski visit Breshnev in Crimea 5-10 September – Solidarity Congress meets in Gdańsk – the congress issues an “Appeal to All Working People in Eastern Europe” (Posłanie do ludzi pracy Europy Wschodniej) – which is strongly criticized in Poland and abroad 16 September– Politburo condemns the Congress 25 September –7 October – second round of Solidarity Congress; KOR dissolved; Lech Wałęsa elected Solidarity president (55% votes)

25. October – worsening of domestic situation in Poland; shortage of gasoline 16-18 October– Jaruzelski becomes 1st secretary of PZPR 2 December – Police and army breaks strike in Warsaw Firemen’s College which was on strike since 25 November 3 December– Radom meeting of the State Committee of SolidaritySolidarity protests against use of force; December 17th is to see mass protest 11-12 December– meeting of the Solidarity Country Committee – highest union authority 13 December– Martial Law introduced by general Wojciech Jaruzelski; Jaruzelski announces that Wojskowa Rada Ocalenia Narodowego – WRON (Military Council of National Salvation) has been created and took over power in Poland in order to prevent chaos and anarchy; the decree introducing martial law forbids and public gatherings, strikes, demonstrations etc.; special regulations are introduced to stop Solidarity activity and ban all underground actions; about 10000 activists are detained on the night 12/13 December and in the following weeks

26. 1981, December 13 –Martial Law, general Wojciech Jaruzelski