Solidarity message to workers in Soviet bloc – 30 years on
PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle
08.09.2011 13:37
Today marks the 30th anniversary of an appeal to the workers of Eastern Europe adopted by the 1st Congress of the Solidarity Union in Gdańsk.
The appeal was addressed to the workers in the whole Soviet bloc and expressed support for “all those who decided to embark on the difficult road of struggle for a free labour movement”.
It also said that contrary to the lies spread in the communist countries, Solidarity was an authentic, 10-million strong organization of workers, which was established in the wake of workers’ strikes.
The appeal was branded by the leadership of the ruling communist Polish United Workers Party as ‘an insane provocation towards Poland’s allies’, while the Soviet Communist Party daily Pravda described the Solidarity congress as ‘an anti-socialist and anti-Soviet orgy’.
A letter of thanks and support was addressed to the Solidarity congress by a Romanian worker Filip Iulius. After it was read out to the delegates, Polish secret police agents passed on the information to Romania’s Securitate.
Accused of spreading anti-socialist propaganda, Filip Iulius spent six a half years in prison, where he was tortured and deprived of food. He was later on the founders of the free trade union Libertatea.
He was invited to the Solidarity congress in Gdańsk in 2005 and decorated with the Solidarity medal. (mk/pg)