1988. március (32-68. szám) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
©mi Editor: György Krassó * 24/D Little Russell Street * London, WC1A 2HN * Tel. 01-430 2126 (írom abroad 441-430 2126) 57/1988 (E) 17th March, 1988 Ihirty Years Ago Members of the Greater Budapest Central Workers Council Were Sentenced Today - March 17th - thirty years have passed since the Supreme Peoples Goűrt passed sentence in the Greater Budapest Central Workers Council case. Sándor Rácz was sentenced to life, Sándor Báli to 12 years and the three other accused to between 5-15 years, Although following the Soviet military invasion more than one thousand sentences were passed in political criminal cases, two trials - because of their symbolic significance - towered above the others, The accused were already in prison in November and December 1956 bút the authorities waited until 1958 to institute proceedings fór their trials. The govemment by passing these two sentences lost its last ehsnce of legitamacy. In the Central Workers Council trial on March 17th 1958 accounts were settled with chosen representatives of the working eláss, in the other trial - three months later - the country’s lawful Prime Minister was sentenced to death. The Workers Councils were institutions of a type which consistently appeared in all recent revolutions. The ambition of the working eláss was to liberate them- selves from all types of exploitation and to take machines, factory management and their fate intő their own hands. Whereas the socialist ambition taken up in principle by the Communist movement and practised everywhere was to establish a more ruthless system of exploitation than ever before, to debar the workers from the right and opportunity to orgahize and protect themselves. Fór this reason the Workers Councils antagonised the Communist State and that is why it settled accounts with them everywhere from Kronstadt to Gdansk, since the Bolshevik cause came to power up until today. In Hungary in 1956 the first Workers Council was established surprisingly early - on October 24th - in the Újpest United Filament Factory, soon all workers in large factories had organised their own councils and on October 31st the Workers Councils Parliament was established. It issued a nine point plán which Iáid out the basic demands of workers self-management. After November 4th the role and pro- gramme of the Workers Councils changed completely, their strength and political significance grew truly great. At this point as there was a lack of other organ- isations - like Polish Solidarity 25 years later - the working eláss in add- ition to representing its speeial interests became a centre fór the struggle fór democracy and national independence. Naturally the new Party leaders feared and hated them and considered Workers Councils their greatest enemy ai“ter the suppression of the armed resistance, On November 13th representatives of workers striking in Budapest factories met to form the Újpest Revolutionary Committee and established the Greater Budapest Central Workers Council electing as its president a 24. year old toolmaker from the Beloiannisz Factory , Sándor Rácz. Soon a dual power árosé: military force in the hands of the Russian troops while the working eláss only obeyed the Central Workers Council. During its short three-week existence the Central Workers Council proved that it could thoughtfully and responsibly manage nőt only factory cases bút the country too and - as shown by István Bibó’s plán - it was capable of rational compromise. Bút the Kadár-MÜnnich government was nőt prepared to compromise,it wanted revenge and on December 9th - on the day when the Subscribers can use or quote the Hungárián October newsletters in totál or in detail as long as the source is acknowledged.
