Anarchists made on 20 November picket held in Krakow in front of the offices of Civil Platform party. This party is leading government and making the health system privatization. A few dozens of people made the protest and proposal to make transformation of hospitals into the worker cooperatives. The members from Workers Initiative and Anarchist Federation from Krakow were and Bielsko-Biala workers from hospital and members of ZSP from Silesia.

In September this year, Jacek Kotula, the president of the workplace commission of the “Solidarity” trade-union in Alima Gerber S.A. in Rzeszow, Poland (currently owned by Nestle) has been dismissed on disciplinary grounds. This is one of many cases of contempt for workers’s rights by large corporations operating in Poland. It is not the first time that Nestle workers have to fight with Nestle in order to have their basic rights respected in various Nestle factories spread around the world. Russian workers are still in the process of struggling for the right to negotiate wages.

Below, we present an interview with Mr. Jacek, made by a member of the Union of Syndicalists of Poland (ZSP).

Members of ZSP Warsaw took part in the organizing of the People's Ball in Warsaw.

The anarchists' "people's ball" was held yesterday in Warsaw.

Nov.11, was Polish Independence Day. As the country becomes sick with more and more patriotism, the patriotic holidays are becoming more and more grandiose and grotesque. This holiday, the 90th anniversary of Polish independence, saw huge military parades, dozens of patriotic demonstrations and a presidential ball.

At a time when the government is preaching austerity to the people, when thousands of people are striking for better pay, when the government is attacking the health care and education systems, when early pensions and other benefits for working people are being done away with, and we are being told "we cannot afford this", the state wastes millions on shows of patriotism and attempts to show off its military might and present itself as a regional superpower. While millions suffer from lack of basic services, the president decided to throw a gala ball.

Fagor's not a Workplace but a Workcamp: Mondragon Capitalists Fuck Workers in Poland. Strike is Imminent

Fagor is a large appliance manufacturer owned by the Mondragon "Cooperative" capitalist enterprise. In Poland it cooperatives FagorMastercook in Wroclaw. Currently there are serious labour problems in FagorMastercook. Members of the Wrocław group of Union of Syndicalists (ZSP) went Friday to a protest in front of the factory.

The place has become quite militarized. On Friday the firm had over 200 armed security guards from the notorious firm Impel there to protect the factory. The place was surrounded by metal barricades and each worker going in was throughly searched. Some employees say that there is often heavy security and searches.

A solidarity picket was held in front of the Post Office 12 July in Zielona Gora. Before the picket there was an information event on the pedestrian street against the changes in Labour Code. The action was organized by Workers Initiative from Zielona Gora and the ZSP from Szczecin and Gorzow took part. Pickets also took place in Gdansk, Krakow, Poznan, Szczecin, Torun, Lublin and two in Warsaw.

The first week of July saw the beginning of international solidarity actions with Jakub G., a union activist unfairly dismissed from the Warsaw office of Lionbridge Poland.

On June 30, activists from Priama Akcia in Slovakia visited the local office in Zilina. Leaflets were given out and a toy lion was left for the management. In a rather grotesque turn of events, the manager of the Polish and Slovakian offices, Jacek Stryczynski, claimed that the lion was something like a death threat and made a very ridiculous and paranoid representation of the event in one of a string of e-mails to sent to frighten employees.

On July 1, a picket was held in Brussels. Leaflets were given out and people spoke to the workers at the office. In Paris the next morning, members of CNT-AIT got a more harsh reception from security but still managed to hand out leaflets to the employees. In Lisbon, the offices of Lionbridge got some information posters about the case.

1 July ZSP from Wroclaw held a solidarity picket as a part of international action against union busting Starbucks. They demanded reinstatement of Cole from US IWW and Monica from CNT in Spain who were fired for trying to organize unions in Starbucks.

Starbucks will open in Poland in the fall. AmRest will control the Starbucks. This company also runs Pizza Hut, KFC, Burger King, Freshpoint and other restaurants in Poland. Members of ZSP promised to investigate the workers' rights situation in these restaurants and will also encourage the workers of Starbucks to organize.

Photos:

A wave of actions is being planned to protest against the actions of Lionbridge corporation and in solidarity with the independent union movement.

LIONBRIDGE – STOP REPRESSING TRADE-UNION MEMBERS!

In December 2007, workers in the Polish office of Lionbridge Technologies - a multinational company - created a trade union based on non-hierarchical principles. On Feb. 12, 2008, Jakub G., a union representative was dismissed without notice. The dismissal came shortly after the announcement to management that a union had been formed in the workplace and despite the fact that Jakub was protected by Polish Labor Law as an elected union representative.

On May 1 an anarchist demonstration took place in Warsaw. A couple of hundred
people came from all the different anarchist groups, including Union of Syndicalists. The demo went to the Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, to the State Labour Inspectorate, a temp agency and a pro-business lobby's headquarters. Many topics were raised, including the amendment of the Labour Code, discrimination in the workplace, the topic of casual work, firing of unionists and capitalist brainwashing. A happening about discrimination in the workplace was organized by anarchafeminists from A-Fe.

A pathetic counterdemonstration was organized by fascists. The night before, a
talk organized by Freedom, Equality and Solidarity was attacked by fascists who
through some incendiary devices into the meeting place. Nobody was hurt.

Some pictures from May Day can be found here:
http://cia.bzzz.net/zdjecia_z_manifestacji_pierwszomajowej
http://cia.bzzz.net/zdjecie_z_1_maja

Today marks the 65th anniversary of the start of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. It was a great resistance of fewer than 1000 poorly armed people against the Nazi killing machine. They held out for almost one month, despite tremendous odds. Many non-insurgents were killed as a result: in total at least 7000 killed by Nazis, another 6000 being burnt alive or killed by smoke. The end of the uprising saw the liquidation of the ghetto, with most of its residents - about 50,000 people - being sent to death camps.

On this day we remember the dead, those killed by hatred and anti-semitism and we say "Never Again". Members of the Warsaw group of the Union of Syndicalists lit candles and left cards with commemorations and anti-fascist slogans throughout the area of the former ghetto, at the monument and at the Umschlagplatz. We will never forget.

As the plague of fascism and antisemitism lingers around the world, we vow to resist it, in the streets, in our hearts, in our minds, in resistance.

No Pasaran!