Solidarity should fight for more says president

President Andrzej Duda has said that the Solidarity trade union is entitled to expect and demand more social benefits.

The president was speaking at the union's 30th-jubilee congress in Zakopane, on Thursday.

Solidarity shot to fame in the early 1980s when, under the leadership of Lech Walesa, it played a pivotal role in bringing down the Iron Curtain. Following the collapse of communism it became a normal trade union, protecting the rights of its members.

"Solidarity has not only the right but also the obligation to expect more things, which should be introduced, and to fight for them," the president said.

"But let me express gratitude to the union, when we remember what has already been achieved," Duda added.

The president also said that both the union and the government should hold talks and seek common values despite their differences.

"These values are a true starting point and I am 100-percent sure that... both sides have best possible intentions," the president said.

Having praised the union, President Duda said that its achievements were of major significance for Poland.

"I believe that Solidarity will continue to strengthen our independent homeland not only in the decades to come, but also for centuries," Duda concluded.