The Gdansk Shipyard – 1980 – Stocznia Gdańska
Polish figure of the „Dreaming about the democracy” topic
On 14th of August 1980 in Shipyard in Gdańsk began a strike, that ultimately led to the signing of August Agreements and creation of the Independent Self-Governing Trade Union “Solidarity”. 17,000 shipyard workers took her side and went strike. The Solidarity movement was born around such workers’ rights activists as Anna Walentynowicz, Lech Wałęsa and Jacek Kuroń. The strikers in Gdańsk were too determined to surrender under mere promises of pay rises alone. The strikes began to spread to different workplaces and cities, resulting in negotiations with the government, and signing of the August Agreements.
Increasing prices of essential products, displeasure with the then government and the general state of the country under communism was the beginning of reasons that ultimately lead to the Gdańsk Shipyard 1980 strike. The termination of Anna Walentynowicz, a single-mother, crane operator, only fifty days before her retirement – was the final stroke. August 14, 1980, the strike broke out to call for her reinstation. It was organised by an activist from the Free Trade Unions of the Coast that Walentynowicz also belonged to – Bogdan Borusewicz. Leaflets were mass-produced, a strike committee was created, and 21 postulates were formed. First called for creation of trade unions that would be independent from governmental authorities and employers, for things like freedom of speech and press, raises of wage, lowering the retirement age, fair hiring strategies, free Saturdays, longer maternity leave. Lech Wałesa became the head of the strike committee it was the first step in his road to becoming a polish President. Catholic masses were held in the Shipyard as a way to support the workers, they became a display of patriotism. Bargaining power of 17,000 shipyard workers that started it all grew as workers in many different cities followed in their steps and also went of strikes. The Government had no choice other than to negotiate with the workers – the first negotiations began on August 22, 1980. The negotiations resulted in signing of 4 separate August Agreements – each for one major city where the strikes took place. Most of workers went back to work on September 1, 1940. Direct result of the Gdańsk Shipyard strike of 1980 was the creation of Independent Self-Governing Trade Union “Solidarity” – the first independent trade union recognised by the state in a Warsaw Pact country.
Before the strike a mass-produced leaflets were distributed calling for Anna Walentynowicz to be reinstated. A single-mother, crane operator, only fifty days before her retirement was terminated for activism in support of trade unions.
Jan Skórzyński, Marek Pernal, Kalendarium Solidarności 1980-89, Świat Książki, Warszawa 2005
Dariusz Aleksandrowicz, Stefani Sonntag, Jan Wielgohs, The Polish Solidarity Movement in Retrospect: A Story of Failure or Success?, GSFP, Berlin 2009
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