POLAND: SCATTERED STRIKE ACTIVITY

Created: 12/15/1981

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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POLAND: Scattered Strike

Factory writer* oUtgedtrike* yesterday in majorbut there apparently was no violence following theof martial law. 't

Me have'confirmation of strike activity at'the Lenin Shipyards in Gdansk, several major factoriesarge steelworks'in Krakow; .and severalin Silesia in southwestern Poland. Solidarity spokesmen" also have stated that key industries.in Poznan and Wroclaw have been shut down. -'Such claims, may beowever; in the hope that Western radiobroadcasts'" at Poland would repent such reports andthers to strike.

- Solidarity activists'reportedly are'continuing efforts-to organize In the wake* of'large-scaleions. SBBBmammmesBansmmmm

Archbishop Glemp yesterday.indicated that Solidarity Walesa was being detained near Warsaw andthat ateople have been interned.interfactory strike committee reportedly has been; up innd similar efforts are apparentlyway in Warsaw and Gdansk. The unions probablyto establish lines of communication throughsystem. ; a

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Government Tightening Control : ' '. , i V' *

he regime apparently has reacted with moderation to these strikes, using force only at the Bteel mill intrike leader at that-plant earlier hadaid that workers would not resist and wouldork slowdown following on Army takeover. ffeaeV

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The government also may have encountered opposition . from some plant managers. Official media yesterday reported that three managers were fired for improperly fulfilling martial law orders. emmmV

The government is using police and security forces andolish troops to impose its

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The regime has further restricted access tosuggesting that the situation is not as calm as officials claim. In addition to the total cutoff of all internal telephone, telex, and postal services, the government yesterday cut all communications between Western news services and their headguartera andell Western correspondents to Warsaw. Such measures will severely limit the already fragmentary information on strikes. seene-

Soviet Reactions

is in or

There ie no indication that Soviet around Poland are preparing to intervene.

Initial Soviet commentary has generally beenbut has stopped short of explicitly endorsing the imposition of martial law. Hoecow probably Is reluctant

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to associate itself too closely with the current meo* in case eventsurn for the burse. It alsorealize that^^Sr iet endorsement could heightenesistance. faseeV

; 'I'. Moscow also appears sensitive' to the ideologicalmplications that the military is takingromin* ole in Poland. caeaentstor on Soviet televisiononday stressed that the military has not taken over eeej that the party has not relinquished ite leading role-

Debt Problems

"Finance Minister Krzak yesterday informedofajor Western governments that Polandto0 million of the interest due tobanks. Warsaw also notified all of Itst the shortfall and askedix-month loan ofso that an agreement on rescheduling1 signed later this month, /

The banks recently have rejected severalrequests for loans to cover Intereat payments'^the crackdown on Solidarity probably will

banks even more reluctant.- The Poles' only

to be that the USSR, encouraged by Warsaw's toughight provide the hard currency needed to cover curC obligations.

Original document.

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