8 - The Polish parliament and labor legislation during Solidarity

Summary

Parliaments in communist party states are usually treated in Western literature as “rubber stamp” institutions that simply approve policies made elsewhere. As such, these bodies do not perform functions of interest articulation, representation, or policy-making that are characteristic of many Western legislatures. This assessment, however, oversimplifies the issue and obscures important differences in the legislatures of the various communist states. It also diverts attention from the dynamics of legislative authority in these states, and the extent to which the relationship between legislatures and other political institutions reflects broader aspects of the political system.

Even before 1980, the Polish parliament (Sejm) was, along with that of Yugoslavia, the most active and autonomous of East European legislatures. During the Solidarity era the role of the Sejm was enhanced even further. The period from August 1980 to December 1981 was the most open and fluid era in Poland's postwar history, and, during this time, virtually every political institution was reformed or revitalized. The Sejm was one of the few institutions that did not undergo substantial change in composition, since there were no new elections during this period, but it did take on a more active and, at times, obstreperous role.

This chapter examines the evolution of the Sejm from 1980 to 1983, focusing on the role of the Sejm in the critical area of labor legislation. During 1980 and 1981, a new trade union bill and legislation on enterprise self-management were two of the major issues that confronted both the regime and Solidarity.