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On August 9, a conference was held in the Warsaw Uprising Museum on the role of syndicalists in the in the armed struggle against the Nazis during the Uprising and other related history. The main topic of the conference revolved around the ZSP, in particular the 104th Company of Syndicalists, which played an important role in the Uprising, but there were also explorations of the genesis of the ZSP, of the currents of Polish syndicalism at the time and of the ZSP and Polish syndicalism in comparison with other revolutionary syndicalist and anarchosyndicalist organizations.
Starting the conference was Szymon Niedziela, historian from the Warsaw Uprising Museum. He gave a very interesting and detailed account of the actions of the ZSP during the Uprising. These included not only armed action against the Nazis, but also significant actions such as operating kitchens to feed the civilian population and extensive publishing, including important news from the Uprising. He also told very interesting (and sad) stories about the relation of the Home Army towards the ZSP, including not informing them about plans to start the Uprising and about deciding that they should remain the last ones on the barricades defending the Old Town while others were evacuated, preventing the evacuation of the syndicalists.
Jakub Woroncow spoke about leading figures in the ZSP like Kazimierz Zakrzewski, Stefan Szwedowski and Jerzy Szurig. He also examined the history of the ZSP and spoke about some of its activities and positions. He examined the ZZZ and its development. ZSP was formed by people who had been active in that syndicalist federation. Rafal Chwedoruk also spoke about the ZZZ and ZSP, examining their ideas, influences and development. He gave a presentation on what syndicalism is and the main influences on Polish syndicalism of that time. Besides looking at ZZZ and ZSP, he also spoke about Syndicalist Organization „Freedom” (SOW), which existed during the Uprising and made a comparison between the influences on ZZZ and ZSP (ie. French Revolutionary Syndicalism) and on SOW (anarchosyndicalism, FAUD, IWA...).
Members of ZSP in Full Job and Direct Post will take action about the situation of mail delivers working for Direct Post through the Full Job agency. The workers are not paid on time and get small, irregular salaries. Direct Post uses workers who are paid by the amount delivered through this agency, Full Job has different reasons for paying late, usually telling different workers different things. One pretext they give is claiming that Direct Post has not paid them yet.
ZSP is organizing and have listed some demands. The first is that Direct Post should directly hire the workers. But as long as it uses Full Job, it should pay on time. And Full Job, which naturally sends workers to other companies as well, must pay workers on time. The problem of late payments should not be made the workers' problem.
A protest is planned at Full Job agency.
On August 2, another action was held at Impuls, which against did not pay any of its employees, who are waiting to know when they'll get their salary. This time one of the bosses came, who hit our comrade who was speaking on the megaphone in the face and then called the police and claimed that the comrade hit him. The shameless guy was shouting that we are „lying” about his company. Several people passing by below had friends or relatives who had worked there and were there cursing this guy. One woman, whose son is a former employee, came to confront the boss. Her son got paid after 4 months and, as she says, only because they kept coming and making a fuss, threatening to sue them. The boss kept insisting that everybody is a „liar” because the son got paid (4 months late).
These actions are pissing them off. But ZSP and the few workers taking action need to escalate since obviously these people have no morals and there is no shortage of desperate people to hire who will work some time before quitting, without organizing themselves. And without organization and direct action, workers are really fucked in the country, full of thieving bosses and inadequate protection for employees.
Impel is one of the richest firms in Poland, supplying cleaning services, security guards and other services to companies, public instituions, etc. For years we have been publishing news about the company - about how jobs in hospitals are outsourced to Impel and workers find themselves on much worse conditions, about low pay, precarious working conditions and other problems. Many Impel employees have commented on this throughout the years. Below we present another story sent to ZSP about the firm.
The story shows how companies can set up numerous legal entities, in order to avoid responsibilities towards workers. It also unfortunately shows what can happen to people whose once stable jobs are taken over by firms such as Impel.
Three years ago, a group of cleaners lost their jobs at Chopin Airport in Warsaw and filed suit in court to establish who their employer was.
On July 30, we held a second action at Impuls, which hasn't been paying workers. Those who showed up today went away with nothing. Even some workers haven't been paid in months but could not be told when they would get there money. The firm cancelled the normal pay day and it is not clear when anybody will get money.
Some lawsuits have been filed against Impuls for back pay - but this can take forever. The company might also, like many others, just declare bankruptcy one day and leave the workers with nothing. We say that rather than wait, other workers need to organize immediately and join those who decided to take action.
We will be back at the company this week.
Impuls is hasn't been paying their workers on time or regularly for a long time. Twice a week they can go to the office and wait on line - if the money runs out, workers are sent home with nothing. Some workers are owed months of pay.
Workers have had enough so an action was organized at the company in Warsaw. The management of the company refused to come out and speak to people and instead locked up the office. Workers demanded a meeting with the managers and immediately payment.
ZSP said it would return to the office with actions until the company pays what it owes.
During the last week, pickets were organized in the UK against Marks and Spencer, for their planned use of free labour through the Workfare program. We decided to make this known in Poland as well, as Marks and Spencer has a presence in this country.
We published information about the situation on the internet, with reference to past articles about Workfare. In addition, posters went up and leaflets were given out at some Marks and Spencer shops.
On July 13, we held an informational action in front of the Presidential Palace in Warsaw against the elimination of the 8-hour working day and in favor of an indefinite general strike. We made speeches about the situation of the working class and the need to fight and had many discussions with passersby. Many tourists also stopped and people from Argentina, France and Russia, who were shocked to learn want is happening in Poland, offered their expressions of support.
During the action we gave out different leaflets, calling for an indefinite general strike and also explaining the meaning and ramifications of the amendments.
A few days ago the three largest unions in Poland called for mass action on September 11, but refrained from calling it a strike. However, they are threatening this on the one hand and on the other, calling on the President to veto the amendments. The members of Solidarity have already voted for a strike in a national referendum, but the other two main unions have not set a referendum yet.
ZSP has been calling for more action against the attacks of the government and business on the working class for years and is agitating actively for strike action. This agitation has some good support amongst rank and file union members and even some unions, which put our appeal on their web pages. We are also calling on workers from outside this unions to organize and workers from these unions to act regardless of what their union leadership decides.
On July 10 a solidarity action was held outside the Brazilian Embassy in Warsaw in support of Brazilian social protests and comrades from COB-AIT who are facing repression. The comrades were arrested during one protest and were due in court at the time of the protest.
The action was also held on the eve of a general strike in Brazil. We hope that workers will continue to mobilize and do so outside the main unions.
Down with the state and capital!
Activists from the Anarchist Federation, ZSP and others picketed in Krakow against the liquidation of the 8 hour day. They marched around the area of downtown Krakow giving out flyers, newspapers and informing people about the changes to the Labour Code that allow bosses to make people work 13 hours a day, 6 days a week.
Thanks to the people of the Anarchist Federation for their good work!
On the photo, people read the ZSP newspaper, "Zapłata".
