| Worker's Democracy | |
| Native Name: | Pracownicza Demokracja |
| Colorcode: | Red |
| Leader: | Andrzej Żebrowski |
| Ideology: | Trotskyism Socialism Marxism Internationalism |
| Country: | Poland |
| Position: | Far-left |
Workers' Democracy (Polish: Pracownicza Demokracja) is a small Trotskyist group in Poland. Originally named Socialist Solidarity, it is affiliated with the International Socialist Tendency.
Worker's Democracy advocates for the abolishment of capitalism through an anticapitalist, socialist revolution and replacing the former system with workers' democracy. Their programme advocates for a system based on worker's committees and worker's councils established in the workplaces. WD's supporters are against racism, fascism and antisemitism.[1] [2] The Movement is also progressive, adhering to feminism, and fighting against LGBT+ discrimination.[3]
Worker's Democracy claims that in Poland, Czechoslovakia and the USSR (from circa 1928 onwards) and other people's democratic states established state capitalism, rather than socialism.[4] The movement argues that the workers had no control over the economy and the state, and the power was held by a vanguard party, separate from the worker's interests.
The movement also argues, in opposition to other trotskyist movements, that the Cuban and Chinese revolutions were not worker's revolts, but a "permanent revolution that has diverged from its course". Worker's Democracy argues that these revolts are leading to state capitalism, rather than socialism, due to the revolutions being led by the middle-class, rather than the working class.[5]
In the movement's opinion, the lack of crisis of capitalism since World War II, comes from a permanent militarist economy, that has managed, up to the 1970's, to avoid reaching the said crisis.
Worker's Democracy is organizing various debates, cultural events and film projections.[6] Every year, the organization co-organizes an "Anticapitalism Weekend", which has been attended by various guests, including Tadeusz Kowalik, Albert Garcia, Roman Kurkiewicz and Piotr Ikonowicz.[7] [8] The movement also is a part of a "11th of November Coalition", that serves a purpose of blocking the Independence March, that happens annually in Warsaw.[9] [10]
The movement is one of the main founders of the anti-war movement in modern-day Poland. Worker's Democracy has participated in protests against american interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq, and is supportive of the Palestinian efforts against Israel,[11] along with "all other real national liberation movements".[3]
Worker's Democracy has not ran in any elections as a movement, however it has supported numerous left-wing candidates in many elections:[12] [13] [14]