More unrest by Polish workers

Press, 12 July 1980, Page 9

More unrest by Polish workers

NZPA-Reuter Warsaw! A fresh wave of labour stoppages was reported in Poland yesterday after the Communist Party leader, Ed-i ward Gierek, told Polish workers they would have to accept higher prices. Mr Jacek Kuron, spokesman for the dissident SelfDefence Committee, said workers had downed tools in sections of at least four- factories in continuing protest against higher meat prices. Officials said earlier that the labour situation had returned to normal after a series of wildcat stoppages when the new prices were announced last week. They (were not immediately available to comment on the latest report. Mr Kuron said workers at a car factory and a radio plant in Warsaw had begun a new protest after a speech by Mr Gierek this week in which he made it clear that there would be no reversal of the new increases. They were demanding higher wages or a return to the old meat prices, he said. Workers in one section of

the Ursus tractor factory near Warsaw, where production was severely disrupted during protests last week, staged a new stoppage yesterday because they were not satisfied with the 5 per cent wage increase offered by management. Other sections of the plant had secured 10 per cent wage rises during last week’s pay scramble. Mr Kuron said workers in a communications plant in Swidnik, near the eastern city of Lublin, had downed tools on Tuesday .to back demands for higher pay. A delegation from Warsaw travelled to the factory (yesterday to negotiate with the workers, he said. Mr Gierek, flanked by three Ministers and a senior Communist Party official, appeared on television this week to spell out the serious economic problems facing the country. The leaders gave little comfort and said Poles would have to contend with inflation and continuing shortages and hold back their demands • for higher wages.