Meat-ration cut fuels new Polish unrest

Press, 27 July 1981, Page 9

Meat-ration cut fuels new Polish unrest

The executive board of the Polish independent trade union federation. Solidarity, yesterday threatened to use "the strike weapon if the Government refused to call off an announced slash in the meat ration. I "We do not recognise the Government's unilateral decision to cut the meat ration, and the Solidarity tradeunion movement will oppose the move with all available means, including strikes," said a board resolution delivered to the press. The board said it would fight to uphold an agreement it reached with the Government last month, under which the meat allowance would remain unchanged at least until October 31.

The Trade Ministry has decreed a cut from August 1 in the monthly individual

ration from 3.7 kg to 3.okg.

The authorities have also proposed raising food prices by 400 per cent. The powerful Warsaw branch of Solidarity issued a statement remininding the Government of disturbances when it tried unsuccessfully to raise food prices in 1970, 1976, and last year. Thousands of people marched through the Polish city of Kutno earlier to protest against food shortages.

The march was the first in a series of planned public protests against food shortages. They started in Kutno, a city of 35,000, 110 km west of Warsaw, because it has been particularly hard-hit: one correspondent described the food supply there as catastrophic. The Solidarity board, officially called the National Co-

ordinating Committee, which started its current closeddoors session on Friday and w r as expected to continue its deliberations yesterday, also leaked other decisions to the press. One resolution gave the Government five weeks to come up with a better distribution system to put an end to long waiting lines in front of undersupplied shops. The board also adopted a number of amendments to the draft censorship law which the Parliament is due to debate next Thursday and Fridav.

The" Solidarity leaders said they firmly opposed rules which would subject Solidarity’s regional journals to the censor’s scissors.

“The union will fight for its rights on this issue," a resolution said.