chairman: Workers of the shipyards, Comrade Edward Gierek, First Secretary of the Central Committee, is here as promised in our Szczecin yards. We extend warm greetings to him. Also present for today’s meeting are: the Prime Minister, Comrade Piotr Jaroszewicz, the Secretary of the Central Committee, Comrade Barcikowski, the Vice-Prime Minister Franciszek Kaim, who is already well known to us, the Minister of Defence, Deputy Wojciech Jaruzelski, the first secretary of Szczecin Provincial Committee, Comrade Oblubek, Comrade Szlachcic (Minister of the Interior), and other representatives of the Party leadership, the administration and the unions. I apologize for the inadequacies of tonight’s organization, but we were taken a bit unawares by the timing of the meeting; I’m sorry, and undertake to be better prepared in future . . . (speaks quietly to Gierek—applause)

gierek: In future there won’t be any need to hold meetings like this. (Shouts and stirring in the hall)

chairman: No meetings? But Comrade Secretary, we feel you have honoured us with your presence . . .

gierek(interrupting): Yes, but not meetings like this. (Turmoil and shouting)

chairman: The President of the Strike Committee, Comrade Baluka, has the floor to read the workers’ demands.

baluka: These are the strikers’ demands (reads):

1 We demand that food prices be returned to the level of before 12 December 1970.