Unions Unite, Occupy the Ministry of Labour and Promise Mass Protest

October 29, a group of 30 unionists decided to occupy the Ministry of Labour in Warsaw and demand a meeting with Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The unionists, from the unions in the Tri-Partite Commission (Solidarity, OPZZ i FZZ) plus the teacher's union ZNP decided not to leave the Ministry in response to the PM's continued refusal to meet and discuss the issue of early retirement.

The government and business lobby want to eliminate early retirement benefits for many categories of workers and introduce bridging pensions as a temporary pre-retirement benefit to replace early retirement.

The hardline neoliberal government has introduced many anti-labour bills, cooperates very closely with the business lobby and tends to treat unionists like terrorists. The labour movement has been traditionally rather divided but the government offensive is bringing to together for common action.

The unionists asked to meet the PM in the Ministry of Labour. The PM decided to go to another meeting place ---- together with a large group of business lobbyists. He told the unionists that not all of them could come to the meeting, only a small group. As a result, the unionists decided not to go and called a press conference for 8:30 in front of the Ministry. The PM then decided to call the press to him for the same time and held a conference together with Minister Pawlak and the leaders of the business lobby. The unionists had to wait until the PM was finished to speak.

The PM left no doubts that he was not willing to discuss with the unionists who he claimed were a "minority terrorizing the majority", speaking of the "dictatorship of unions", the "dictatorship of the weak" etc. etc. The unionists repliied that working people are the majority and it was the PM and the bosses who were terrorizing workers. They announced that they would hold a protest on Nov.5 in Warsaw and start strike actions as of Nov. 6.

Represenatives of other unions and radical labour activists (including anarchists) came to the Ministry. The more radical activists have a critical attitude towards the Tri-Partite unions but, in this situation they declared that they would support the protest Nov. 5 and feel that all unionists and workers need to stand together against the government's offensive.