In October 2002, Poland's NSZZ Solidarność trade union organised two demonstrations in Warsaw. In both cases, violence occurred between the protesters and the police. The protests were directed against the present government's policy regarding some branches of industry, and were also a response to the recent liberalisation of the Labour Code.
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In October 2002, Poland's NSZZ Solidarność trade union organised two demonstrations in Warsaw. In both cases, violence occurred between the protesters and the police. The protests were directed against the present government's policy regarding some branches of industry, and were also a response to the recent liberalisation of the Labour Code.
On 15 October 2002, a demonstration was held in Warsaw by the Śląsko-Dąbrowski regional organisation of the Independent and Self-Governing Trade Union (Niezależny Samorządny Związek Zawodowy Solidarność, NSZZ Solidarność). This region of Poland, comprising Upper Silesia and the Dąbrowa Belt, is historically the country’s major industrial area. It has recently faced serious problems, with the restructuring of heavy industry, especially coal mining and steel and iron works, resulting in successive job losses and increased unemployment and social tensions. The demonstration was triggered by the concerns of employees in the restructured sectors, given the limited funds available for restructuring processes in the 2003 state budget. Workers in the mining sector, which may not receive any funding for a restructuring programme, are worried about the future of five mining companies facing possible bankruptcy due to their significant debts. This would mean the closure of up to 14 coal mines with an annual capacity of about 30 million tonnes each and the redundancy of about 40,000 miners.
Trade union members from other hard-hit sectors - steel works and railways - also participated in the protest. Steelworkers’ fears are mainly related to the cuts in capacity in this sector, which is to be limited to about 900,000 tonnes by 2006, according to an agreement between the Polish government and the European Commission. Apart from industry-specific concerns, the protesters expressed their disapproval of the recent liberalisation of the Labour Code (PL0209107F) and further possible changes in this respect.
According to the organisers, about 7,500 protesters came to Warsaw for the 15 October protest. Apart from NSZZ Solidarność, the Miners’ Trade Union (Związek Zawodowy Górników) affiliated to the All-Poland Alliance of Trade Unions (Ogólnopolskie Prozoumienie Związków Zawodowych, OPZZ) was also represented. The demonstration proceeded from the Torwar sports hall to the Prime Minister’s office, where fights with the police began, with the latter using tear-gas. Several people on both sides were injured. During these events, a delegation of protesters delivered a petition to the Prime Minister’s office.
On 22 October, the capital witnessed another demonstration organised by NSZZ Solidarność, this time related to the situation in the shipbuilding industry. The bankruptcy of the Stocznia Szczecińska (PL0207101N) shipyard and the present financial problems being experienced by Stocznia Gdynia raise questions about the future of this sector in Poland. The demonstration was once again joined by workers other than shipbuilders - miners and steelworkers - forming a group of about 3,000 people. Ironically, the day before the protest, the government had decided to grant guarantees for Stocznia Gdynia to the amount of PLN 215 million, and the Ministry of Finance (Ministerstwo Finansów) had entered an agreement on this issue with the management board of this shipbuilding company. Because of this, slogans voiced during the demonstration created a stir among government officials. The organisers still considered the steps taken by the government to be insufficient, demanding a direct agreement between the government and the banks providing credit to Stocznia Gdynia which, in their opinion, would be the only way of guaranteeing funds for the industry. The demonstration proved to be similar to the previous one: it proceeded along the same route and ended up near the Chancellery of the Prime Minister (Kancelaria Prezesa Rady Ministrów), which the protesters attacked with stones and bats, and fights broke out with the police. The police arrested several people on charges of disturbing the peace and destroying public property.
These protests, in particular their violent nature, brought a mixed reaction. They were perceived as an implementation of an active protest strategy - previously announced by NSZZ Solidarność - against the liberalisation of the Labour Code, which is seen by the trade unions as limiting employee rights and excessively strengthening the employers’ position. The left-wing coalition government has responded that the NSZZ Solidarność protests are a result of the decisions of the previous government, which was supported by the trade unions. The protests therefore possess not only a social character, but also indicate a degree of populism in contemporary Polish politics.
The actions taken by NSZZ Solidarność are also related to the recent change in its leadership, and the replacement of Marian Krzaklewski by Janusz Śniadek (PL0210103N) as the union's chair. The presence of the new leader at a demonstration which featured violent behaviour was criticised by, among others, the historic founding leader of NSZZ Solidarność, former President Lech Wałęsa. On 23 October, he stated in a radio interview that the role of the union's chair is mainly to prepare and implement its strategy, and not to get involved in short-term activities. At the same time, Mr Wałęsa rejected the accusations made against the current government, pointing to the legacy of the socialist era as the main source of present economic problems, which require the implementation of reforms that carry with them painful social costs.
Eurofound recommends citing this publication in the following way.
Eurofound (2002), NSZZ Solidarność organises protests, article.
