Wildcat strikers get ready to defend themselves

On April 2, a wildcat strike broke out in a metalworks in Chorzow, Poland. Tomorrow police and private security will try to violently break it.

On April 2, a few hundred metalworkers at Huta Batory ironworkers started a wildcat strike against planned reductions and the use of temporary workers on trash contracts. The ironworks started mass layoffs - 50 people were dismissed last week alone. At the same time, they increased the use of temporary workers. The metalworkers described how people doing the same job as they were earned half their salaries - just 1400 zloties netto (350 euros). The workers consider this type of salary to be obscene for the work they do and demand the reinstatement of the dismissed workers and respecting the existing collective agreement. They did not wait for the union negotiations and just went on strike.

The company has hired a lot of security and is working with the police to organize an action tomorrow to break the strike. Already a lot of extra police are seen in the area.

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Some comrades went to support

Some comrades went to support the strikers and there were interesting developments. First, at about 5AM all sorts of emergency preparations started - ambulances arrived, fire engines, police. But also a lot of local people. The firm had hired a lot of security to come and pacify the strike. Several buses of security guards arrived from Bydgoszcz in the morning, but seeing the situation, they turned around and went back to Bydgoszcz.

The bosses then demanded that the workers let them take some trucks filled with metal pipes that had been produced, but the workers refused. Then there were attempts to get the workers to negotiate, but they say they are not going to talk to the boss, but want some mediator. In the meanwhile, the company that owns the ironworks are threatening to close it down and move production elsewhere.

There really were masses of local people supporting the strike. Among them were about 500 football fans. This is a video from last night: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmxMlZOzZKo&feature=related

That would mean that the security guards were facing really a huge crowd of people.