Walesa Speaks Against Meat Price Increases

Solidarity leader Lech Walesa on Sunday condemned a government plan to introduce meat price increases today to complete a series of unpopular increases in the cost of food.

Reading a statement to 6,000 supporters from the balcony of a church in the Baltic port of Gdansk, Walesa said: “Price rises without a realistic program, acceptable to the nation, to end the economic crisis . . . will help nothing.”

Meat price hikes of between 10% and 15% were announced on television Friday. Tight rationing of supplies will remain in force.

Solidarity’s underground Provisional Coordinating Committee (TKK) has called for a 60-minute national strike to coincide with the increases.

But there was no indication of concern on the part of the authorities that the strike appeal would generate a significant response.

Walesa, who is under investigation for leadership of an illegal organization and could face five years in jail, added: “People have the right to protest. They should decide in each factory how best this can be accomplished.”

He said he would go to work at the Lenin shipyard in Gdansk today and endorse whatever action its work force took.

Previous calls by the TKK for protests against the food price increases, which began in March, were virtually unheeded in the factories.

Western diplomats said the lack of militancy was due in part to the success of workers in forcing large pay rises to compensate for the higher food costs, which the government says will add 3% to the cost of living this year.

Workers were also warned they could be fired if they took part in a 15-minute general strike that the TKK called and then cancelled last February.