The Solidarity trade union has declared a state of strike readiness to signal its concern over fast growing prices and the situation of Polish families, which the union says is deteriorating dramatically.

One hundred union delegates from all over Poland, who have met in Lodz to discuss the country’s social and economic situation, adopted a resolution on staging demonstrations in provincial capital cities most likely in May.

A nationwide protest action is to be held in Warsaw. Solidarity claims that the government is not realising its constitutional duty to protect the poorest people sufficiently well.

“Solidarity will speak on behalf of people who live on the verge of poverty. There are more than one million of them”, says the union’s National Committee leader Piotr Duda.

“We will begin the European presidency on 1 July. We want to show Europe that it is not as nice in Poland as Prime Minister Tusk says”, Duda commented.

Solidarity says that a growing number people have been coming to it complaining about rampant price hikes.

The union has called on the government to cut down the fuel excise tax temporarily, channel more funds to combating unemployment and adjust income criteria upwards enabling more people to claim social benefits. (kk/jb)

Source: IAR/Gazeta Wyborcza