Liston M. Oak - Free and unfettered

another city which has not been so greatly damaged-Lodz or Cracow, for example). In the numerous schools established for members, the ideology of the Communist-Socialist bloc is inculcated assiduously. No dissension is permitted, no criticism of the Soviet Union, no praise of democratic capitalist countries like America or democratic socialist countries like Britain and Sweden. The idea is to forge " unity," to prepare future fuehrers for " Poland reborn." Some of the government Socialists may exhibit a degree of independence now, but those taught " Marxism " in the trade union classes will be true Bolsheviks. No Pole with the philosophy of either Algernon Lee or Norman Thomas or even Harold Laski would be permitted to teach in these schools. " Complying with the demands of the trade unions," Rusinek informed me, " the Government issued a decree on March 20, 1945, establishing Workers Councils in each factory. This Council supervises the conditions of work, the carrying out of ' the collective agreement, protects the interests of the workers, especially of women and children, and has charge of food supplies. The employer or manager has to make a report to the Council every three months, and meets with the Council each month to discuss problems of how to increase productivity and the discipline of labour, of sanitation and safety, of technical improvement." " All workers in the factory have the right to vote for the candidates to the Workers' Council, even those who do not belong to the union. The management cannot hire or fire anyone without consulting the Council, except technicians. "All the anti-labour laws passed under the reactionary Pilsudski regime have been repealed, and the pre-war gains of the class struggle restored. A representative of the trade unions participates in the Economic Council of the Government, and often criticizes." When I asked Rusinek how the role of the Polish trade unions differed from the role of Soviet trade unions, he replied that " Polish workers are stubborn defenders of their rights, and do not glorify the State. We consider that the State must serve 33 BibliotecaGino Bianco

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