Strajk w Hucie im. Marcelego Nowotki w Ostrowcu Świętokrzyskim 13–15 grudnia 1981 r.

On the night of December 12th 1981, following the implementation of martial law
in Poland, a group of Solidarity Trade Union activists from Ostrowiec Świętokrzy-
ski was arrested. The leaders of Solidarity, who escaped internment, went at night
to both plants of Marcel Nowotko Steelworks in order to organize an industrial
action in defence of the arrested colleagues. In the morning of December 13th, Stri-
ke Committees were established in Metallurgical Plant (“New” Plant), chaired by
Jerzy Jabłoński, and in Metallurgical-Processing Plant (“Old” Plant), where the strike
was led by Andrzej Dudek, a member of Solidarity State Committee. In the eve-
ning of December 13th, the Strike Committees were transformed into Committees of
Union’s Rescue. Several thousand people took part in the strike. Different sections of
food supply and information as well as Workers’ Guard were set up. In the afternoon
on December 14th, the leaders of the strike started negotiations with the directors of
the Steelworks as well as a military commissioner of the Kielce province, Colonel
Stanisław Iwański. The talks resulted in an agreement concluded on December 15th
at 12.25 a.m. which stipulated that the striking workers were to leave the area of the
Steelworks. In total, there were approximately 250 strike participants in the “Old”
Plant and 1,500 from the “New” Plant. An action against the leaders of the strike was
brought and 10 active participants of the protest were imprisoned.