Solidarity (Polish trade union)
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| Full name | Independent Self-governing Labour Union "Solidarity" |
|---|---|
| Native name | Niezależny Samorządny Związek Zawodowy „Solidarność” |
| Founded | 17 September 1980 |
| Members | Almost 10 million at the end of the first year; over 400,000 in 2011 (680,000 in 2010) |
| Affiliation | ITUC, ETUC, TUAC |
| Key people | Anna Walentynowicz, Lech Wałęsa, Piotr Duda |
| Office location | Gdańsk, Poland |
| Country | Poland |
| Website | Solidarnosc.org.pl (in English) |
Solidarity (Polish: Solidarność, pronounced [sɔliˈdarnɔɕt͡ɕ]; full name: Independent Self-governing Trade Union "Solidarity"—Niezależny Samorządny Związek Zawodowy „Solidarność” [ɲezaˈlɛʐnɨ samɔˈʐɔndnɨ ˈzvjɔ̃zɛk zavɔˈdɔvɨ sɔliˈdarnɔɕt͡ɕ]) is a Polish trade union that was founded on 17 September 1980 at the Lenin Shipyard under the leadership of Lech Wałęsa. It was the first trade union in a Warsaw Pact country that was not controlled by a communist party. Its membership reached 9.5 million members before its September 1981 Congress (when it reached 10 million), which constituted one third of the total working-age population of Poland.
In the 1980s, Solidarity was a broad anti-bureaucratic social movement, using the methods of civil resistance to advance the causes of workers' rights and social change. The government attempted to destroy the union by imposing martial law in Poland, which lasted from December 1981 to July 1983 and was followed by several years of political repression from 8 October 1982, but in the end it was forced to negotiate with Solidarity. In the union's clandestine years, the Pope and the United States provided significant financial support, estimated to be as much as 50 million US dollars.
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