Poland demands reparation for German crimes

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stressed that from the first days of the war, the Germans showed what their real goal was. It was not only about conquering but also annihilating the Polish nation. "When the Germans came to Poland, they followed Hitler's orders; he told them: Have no mercy on the Poles" – said the Head of the Government.

The Prime Minister referred a the report presented on 1 September on war reparations from Germany. "We wish to claim reparation, compensation, compensation, because this is the only basis for us to build the future",  he stressed. "The spirits of our ancestors who died in such terrible circumstances at the hands of the German occupier are crying out for truth, justice and reparation," he added.

German crimes in the Bydgoszcz region

As the Prime Minister pointed out, many crimes were committed by the Germans in the Bydgoszcz region. "This land flowed with the blood of Polish patriots. This land flowed with the blood of Poles. We cannot forget about it," he stressed. 

The Head of the Government said that there were dozens or even hundreds of places where Poles were shot by the Germans. "It is estimated that, as early as the first few months of the war, at least 5,000 people were shot or otherwise brutally murdered in the Bydgoszcz region", reminded the Prime Minister.

In the autumn of 1939., the Germans carried out the mass murder of the inhabitants of Bydgoszcz and the surrounding area, including the so-called Valley of Death. The first execution was carried out on October 10, 1939, and further executions continued until November 26, 1939.

Anniversary of the signing of the Jastrzębie Agreement

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki participated in the celebrations of the 42nd anniversary of the signing of the Jastrzębie Agreement. It was signed on 3 September 1980 at the "Manifest Lipcowy" (now: "Zofiówka") Hard Coal Mine . One of its achievements was winning free Saturdays for all Polish workers.

The Jastrzębie Agreement was a complement to the August agreements concluded in 1980 between the communist authorities and striking workers in Szczecin and Gdańsk.

In addition to the demands put forward by the crews of the striking plants on the Coast, the Strike Committee at the "Manifest Lipcowy" Hard Coal Mine presented its own proposals concerning wages, social and living issues as well as management and organisation of work. The proposals accepted by the government of the People's Republic of Poland and recorded in the protocol include:

• increasing the amount of earnings in close relation to the increase in the cost of living,
•  introduction of free Saturdays and Sundays,
• the introduction of minimum and maximum wage ceilings,
• lowering the retirement age for underground workers.