Economical crisis in Poland. The crisis had already begun in February 1980. The 8th Congress of the Workers Party of Poland took place, led by Edward BABIUCH. But the tension between the Communist Party, the Church and the opposition became worse, and was that was followed by an average increase of the prices of 30%. As the situation was not getting any better, a strike committee regrouping the workers of various factories and naval construction sites was created on the 16th August. The Gdansk shipyards went on strike on that very day. On the 24th August, Edward BABIUCH resigned. He was replaced by Josef PINKOWSKI. The strike movement continued to grow despite Cardinal WYSZYNSKI's publicly asking for it to end. On the 30th August, the worker Lech WALESA negotiated and managed to obtaine the right for the creation of self-organised trade-unions. Thanks to him, the shipyards strike ended on the 31st August 1980, with the signing of the Gdansk agreement.