Wednesday 12 August 2009

Tenants Visit Vicepresident


August 12, tenants from the Tenants Defense Committee and from the Warsaw Tenants Association paid an unannounced visit to the office of Vicepresident Andrzej Jakubiak. A large group of people managed to walk right into his office without any interference with their protest. The tenants are angry at Jakubiak because of what he did at the last session of the City Council. Before voting on a new resolution on housing policy, Jakubiak made a speech providing incorrect information. The city changed the maximum amount of money people can earn to qualify for public housing. Although city officials claimed that this amount would be raised (since in fact the minimum wage was raised), it was actually LOWERED. Jakubiak gave incorrect figures which contradicted what was in the resolution right before voting. Nobody on the City Council corrected him. Jakubiak claimed that representatives of the tenants were lying.

After publication of the official stenogram and final copy of the resolution, it is clear that one thing was written in the resolution, and another thing promised at the council meeting.

Jakubiak will most likely claim he "made a mistake" but tenants are not likely to let him get away with this. Members of ZSP involved in the tenants movement were the first to discover the discrepancy and notify the public of the misleading information. The city housing office also gave this incorrect information to the press so it seems as if this was no slip of the tongue by the vicepresident, but a deliberate attempt to hide the fact that the city significantly cut the qualifying income for public housing to less than 80% of the minimum wage, meaning that no person in full-time employment can qualify for public housing. Read more!

Tuesday 11 August 2009

Anarcho-tourists in Zakopane


Some members of ZSP Warsaw took part in the anarcho-tourist trip to Zakopane. Friends and comrades came from different places in Slovakia and Poland for 3-4 days of hiking, integration and fun. Slovakian comrades are active in the Anarchotourists' Collective (KATT), which has been organizing such trips for the past 4 years. This year was the first time in was on this side of the Tatra mountains. Read more!

Monday 3 August 2009

Solidarity with Ssangyong Workers' Struggle

Today the police stepped up their attacks on the workers occupying the Ssangyong factory in Korea. The workers fought back with Molotov cocktails and metal objects from the factory.

We denounce the methods of the state in protecting the interests of capital.

Today there were two pickets in Warsaw in support of the workers' struggle: at the Korean Embassy and a Ssangyong dealership. ZSP sends a message of solidarity to the workers who are continuing their struggle despite brutal repression and supports the call of Priama Akcia to send protest letters and make solidarity actions in this case. Time is of the essence. It looks as if there may only be a very short time left in this struggle, but the class war continues. Read more!