"We've had enough! The Star March is just the beginning"

• Trade unionists unanimously emphasize that during the Star March in Katowice they will protest against the economic and social degradation of the Upper Silesia region and the Dąbrowa Basin.
• They point out that the government is not implementing the provisions of the social contract regarding the transformation of the hard coal mining sector and selected transformation processes in the Silesian Voivodeship.
• They're not only concerned about the dire situation in the mining and steel industries. Trade unionists also point to problems in agriculture and the automotive industry.

- Individual demonstrations had little effect, so the trade unions decided to join forces to make the government understand that this is no longer a joke, but a serious matter - emphasizes Wacław Czerkawski, chairman of the Council of the All-Poland Alliance of Trade Unions (OPZZ) in the Silesian Voivodeship, in an interview with WNP.

"The unions are standing up for jobs and industry in Silesia, not just mining and steelmaking. But also other industries, including the automotive industry, as well as the public sector and healthcare. We hope that this protest will be effective and that the government will engage in serious and substantive talks, rather than end up with promises that we will no longer be fooled by," concludes Wacław Czerkawski.

Common goal: defending the region's industry

Piotr Nowak, vice-chairman of the Silesian-Dąbrowa Solidarity movement, points out that by choosing this form of demonstration, i.e. the Star March, they wanted to show unity.

- We come from different parts, we represent different trade union organizations, but we are united by a common goal: defending the industry in our region, defending jobs in Silesia and the Dąbrowa Basin - emphasizes Piotr Nowak.

The hard coal mining industry is in an extremely difficult situation . For some time now, we've been hearing, among other things, that Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa is teetering on the brink.

- The government is in a standoff: with miners, with steelworkers, with farmers... There is no doubt about it - says Bogusław Hutek, head of the miners' Solidarity.

The Silesia-Dąbrowa Region Protest and Strike Committee (MKPS) was reactivated on October 13th of this year, after a break of over five years. The committee is composed of NSZZ Solidarność, the All-Poland Alliance of Trade Unions (OPZZ), the Trade Union Forum, and WZZ Sierpień 80. The reason for its reactivation is the dire condition of Silesian industry and the government's lack of willingness to engage in dialogue.

"We've had enough, the Star March is just the beginning!"

"We've had enough, the Star March is just the beginning!" Bogusław Ziętek, chairman of the August '80 trade union, emphasized in an interview with the WNP portal.

"The protest in Katowice is the prelude to another wave of protests that will unfold if the government doesn't begin serious talks about the future of Silesia and its industry. Miners and steelworkers are no longer alone. Their actions are supported by other professional and social groups. This also concerns the situation in agriculture, transport, the processing industry, and the automotive industry. These are just some of the groups whose livelihoods are being undermined by the European Green Deal and its uncritical implementation in our country. If we don't stop destroying our own energy system, which is based on the energy sources we have—hard coal and lignite—our economy will not be able to compete with other economies that can use electricity three or four times cheaper than that in Poland and Europe," concludes Bogusław Ziętek.

He also emphasizes that the opposition expressed during the Star March in Katowice will be continued with the participation of other social and professional groups.