Solidarity (Polish trade union) Solidarity (Polish trade union) Solidarity (, pronounced ; full name: Independent Self-governing Labour Union "Solidarity"—"Niezależny Samorządny Związek Zawodowy "Solidarność"" ) is a Polish labour union that was founded on 17 September 1980 at the Lenin Shipyard under the leadership of Lech Wałęsa. It was the first trade union in a Warsaw Pact country that was not controlled by a communist party. Its membership peaked at 10 million members at its September 1981 Congress, which constituted one third of the total working-age population of Poland. In the 1980s, Solidarity was a broad anti-bureaucratic social movement, using the methods of civil resistance
Solidarity – The Union for British Workers all forms of institutional union corruption"; "promote freedom within and without the Trades Union movement, protecting and promoting freedom of belief, thought and speech, irrespective of political and religious affiliation or creed". The documents make no mention of race, but Solidarity's General Secretary has repeatedly stated that membership is open to people of all ethnic, religious and political backgrounds. A statement on the Solidarity website backs this view: "Our aim in Solidarity is to unite all workers, from all racial, religious and political backgrounds". The Union has distributed material aimed at recruiting from ethnic minority communities. Solidarity recruits from all