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BOX-FOLDER-REPORT: 30-2-244
TITLE:             Nepszabadsag Carries Workers Council Criticism
BY:                Leason
DATE:              1957-8-12
COUNTRY:           Hungary
ORIGINAL SUBJECT:  General Desk
THEMATIC SUBJECTS: Hungary--1956-1965, Hungary--1956 Revolution--Workers' Council, Political Persecution

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CN 52
X/10 M. -- NEPSZABADSAG CARRIES WORKER COUNCIL CRITICISM
MUNICH, AUG 12 (LEASON/GENERAL DESK)... THE HUNGARIAN REGIME
YESTERDAY CONTINUED ITS CAUTIONS CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE IDEA OF WORKERS
COUNCILS FOR HUNGARIAN INDUSTRY.
THE PARTY NEWSPAPER NEPSZABADSAG QUOTED SEVERAL WORKERS ON THEIR
OPINION OF HOW TO DRAW WORKERS "TO A GREATER EXTENT AND MORE DIRECTLY
INTO THE MANAGEMENT OF FACTORIES AND ENTERPRISES."NONE OF THOSE
INTERVIEWED THOUGHT THE WORKERS COUNCILS HAD SUCCEEDED. GYULA SOLTI,
PARTY SECRETARY AT THE LORING WEAVING MILL, SAID THAT THE
PRESIDIUM OF THE COUNCIL IN HIS FATORY HAD RELEGATED THE COUNCIL
ITSELF TO THE BACKGROUND AND FAILED TO INFORM IT OF IMPORTANT
MATTERS. ANOTHER INTERVIEWED PERSON SAID THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAD
CARED ONLY FOR THEIR OWN INTERESTS.
THESE OPINIONS WERE IN STARK CONTRAST TO THE GREAT ENTHUSIASM FOR
WORKERS COUNCILS IN POLAND AND IN HUNGARY ITSELF WHEN THE
COUNCILS WERE FIRST SET UP SHORTLY BEFORE AND ESPECIALLY DURING THE
REVOVUTION.
THE HUNGARIAN REGIME APPARENTLY WOULD LIKE TO SBUSTITUTE FOR THE
WORKERS COUNCILS A SYSTEM OF "PRODUCTION CONFEREMCES" WHICH HAVE
GAINED PROMINENCE IN RUMANIA BUT WHOSE FUNCTION THERE IS STILL VERY
UNCLEAR.
A BUDAPEST RADIO COMMENTAR" AUG. 3RD REPORTED ON A DECREE
ISSUED BY THE "WORKER AND PEASANT GOVERNMENT" ORDERING EVERY FACTORY
AND ENTERPRISE TO HOLD QUARTERL?? PRODUCTION COMFEREMCES TP DOSCISS
PRODUCTION RESULTS.
AS LONG AGO AS MARCH, THE RUMANIAN TRADE UNION CHIEF APOSTOL,
PAYING A VISIT TO BUDAPEST, RECOMMENDED PRODUCTION CONFERENCES AS THE
"MOST IMPORTANT AND EFFICIENT ORMS OF PARTICIPATION OF ALL THE
WORKERS OF THE SOCIALIST ENTERRISES IN THE LEADERSHIP OF PRODUCTION."
(MORE) 1816


CN 53
X/10 H. -- 1ST ADD NEPSZABADSAG CARRIES (CN 52) X X X PRODUCTION
THE NEW HUNGARIAN DECREE SAID THE TRADE UNIONS ARE RESPONSIBLE
FOR ORGANIZING THE PRODUCTION CONFERENCES.
- - - - -
THUS, THE DECREE IS PROBABLY LERGELY INTENDED TO REVIVE THE
IMPORTANCE OF THE TRADE UNIONS, ALMOST TOTALLY DISCREDITED AT THE
TIME OF THE REVOLUTION. ONE OF THE SLOGANS OF THE REVOLUTION HAD
BEEN THAT WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF WORKERS COUNCILS, COMMUNIST-TYPE
UNIONS BECAME SUPERFLUOUS.
THAT THE APPARATUS OF THE HUNGARIAN UNIONS IS PROBABLY OVERSTRENGTH
IS INDICATED BY THE FACT THAT THE POLISH GOVERNMENT HAS FOUND IT
POSSIBLE TO CUT ITS TRADE UNION CENTRAL PERSONNEL BY ONE-HALF.
THE DIRECTION OF HUNGARIAN REGIME THINKING IS ILLUSTRATED BY THE FACT
THAT THE SECOND HALF OF THE DECREE ON PRODUCTION CONFERENCES IS
CONCERNED WITH REWARDING WORKERS FOR EXTRA-SPECIAL PERFORMANCE.
COMPENSATION IN MONEY OR IN SUCH TITLES AS "ACE WORKERS"APPEARS TO
BE NOTHING LESS THAN THE SLIGHTLY MODIFIED RE-INSTITUTION OF THE
DESPISED "WORK COMPETITIONS" WHICH WERE ABOLISHED IN THE FIRST DAYS
OF THE REVOLUTION.

- - - - -
BUT ALONG WITH ITS CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE WORKERS COUNCILS, THE
REGIME HAS NOW FOUND IT POLITIC TO STRESS THAT NOT EVERY MEMBER OF
A WORKERS COUNCIL IS A "COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY."
THE TRADE UNION PAPER NEPAKARAT SAID AUG. 8TH THAT IT WAS NOT
TRUE THAT EVERYONE WHO VOICED AN INCORRECT VIEW IN OCTOBER IS A
"COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY", OF 25 CASES REACHING THE TRADE UNION
COUNCIL COMFIANING OF UN JUST DISMISSAL, ONLY FIVE WERE FOUND TO
HAVE BEEN WELL-FOUNDED. MANY OF THOSE DISMISSED HAD BEEN GUILTY
ONLY OF BEING WORKERS COUNCIL MEMBERS, NEPAKARAT SAID.
JE/A 1821 AUG 12

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