Sharp Soviet attack

Press, 2 September 1980, Page 8

Sharp Soviet attack

: NZPA-Reuter Moscow The Soviet Union delivered a sharp attack on the .-'■leaders of. Poland’s striking workers yesterday, accusing •/them of links with “subversive? centres abroad,” but . made no comment oh .the ■accord they reached with the ■-Government. Up to last no ’’other Soviet /media, had reported the set■•tlement either;- : :•■.■• /-The Communist Party ■/daily, “Pravda,” said that elements”, had /infiltrated. enterprises' on the . /./Baltic coast and were trying '/to co-ordinate ; their actions /.■with “reactionary Polish ■ emigrants and. subversive /operating ’ .in .’the /.West.” < •• ■ ■_..•• '../They ’were putting. politi- < seal demands *‘which are far

from serving the economic and social interest of the Polish working class,” the paper said.;. { v i ~ ■ ' The commentary —. the first substantive Soviet statement on: two ,• monthsof labour unrest .in Poland ,-t., was-, summarised in advance of publication by the Soviet news ’agency, Tass. J { The; aims of “he subversi v e centres abroad, “Pravda” said “vas “to cause harm to'.the./socialist gains of: the.polish; people, to try to turn Poland from the path iti“ook ; in accordance with the people’s will after liberation (by Soviet forces) from the German-fascist invaders.” ■ * ’ East Germany’-, reported that .a settlement had been reached, but did not mention

the concessions won by the strikers. '• Yugoslavia's;. information media; welcomed the agreement .as ‘ victory . tor the workers which averted, the danger “of ’serious, complications:’ elsewhere. The official news agency,.Tanjug, said the workers had won a new form of socialist. democracy; in - the interests of the Polish , community as a whole.. , ■ln Peking, the official New China News Agency briefly reported that striking workers in the Polish port of Gdansk had won their demands ; for independent, rionState trade unions but said their agreement appeared only to coyer {coastal areas.