Solidarity with Solidarity

The Polish crisis in the early 1980s provoked a great deal of reaction in the West. Not only governments, but social movements were also touched by the changes. This book analyzes Western European social reaction to the Independent Self-governing Trade Union Solidarnosc, Revealing how many unionists hesitated between dZtente and workers' rights, between Atlantic cold warriors and European cooperation. It provides new insights relevant to historians dealing with the Cold War, Labor, and European integration.

The Polish crisis in the early 1980s provoked a great deal of reaction in the West. Not only governments, but social movements were also touched by the establishment of the Iindependent Trade Union Solidarnosc in the summer of 1980, the proclamation of martial law in December 1981, and Solidarnosc's underground activity in the subsequent years. In many countries, campaigns were set up in order to spread information, raise funds, and provide the Polish opposition with humanitarian relief and technical assistance. Labor movements especially stepped into the limelight. A number of Western European unions were concerned about the new international tension following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the new hard-line policy of the US and saw Solidarnosc as a political instrument of clerical and neo-conservative cold warriors. This book analyzes reaction to Solidarnosc in nine Western European countries and within the international trade union confederations. It argues that Western solidarity with Solidarnosc was highly determined by its instrumental value within the national context. Trade unions openly sided with Solidarnosc when they had an interest in doing so, namely when Solidarnosc could strengthen their own program or position. But this book also reveals that reaction in allegedly reluctant countries was massive, albeit discreet, pragmatic, and humanitarian, rather than vocal, emotional, and political.

1 Introduction: Solidarity, Ideology, Instrumentality and Other Issues
2 Sweden: Focus on Fundamental Trade Union Rights
3 Spain: The Common Experience of Transition and a Military Coup
4 Italy: Diversity within United Solidarity
5 The ICFTU and the WCL: The International Coordination of Solidarity
6 Great Britain: Between Avoiding Cold War and Supporting Free Trade Unionism
7 The FRG: Humanitarian Support without Big Publicity
8 France: Exceptional Solidarity?
9 Denmark: International Solidarity and Trade Union Multilateralism
10 Belgium: the Christian Emphasis
11 Austria: an Ambivalent Attitude of Trade Unions and Political Parties
12 Abbreviations
13 About the Authors
14 Index