Gorbachev Addresses Uralmash Workers

Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.

serious oversights or omissions, and keeps those matters in mind. That is how I understand it. For this, I express appreciation in a party-minded fashion. I will tell you directly that we did not manage without demagogy in some conversations. There was that, too. Well, such is our reality now. Demagogues also make use of democracy, perhaps even more strongly, more often, and to a greater extent than we do. However, it should be the other way around. Everything sensible and responsible in our society should make use of this glasnost and democracy that have opened up to take power into their hands in a real way and to participate in the whole process of elaborating policy and of changing and restructuring our lives. In this spirit, I want to reply to the question that was raised in the conversation and is also here in these notes, [points to written questions on lectern before him] I will begin with how the party, the country's leadership, and I personally, as president and general secretary, view the role of the working class at this very important, historic stage in our society's development. Comrades, the party will not be able to achieve the implementation of its policy, to continue its life successfully and to march in the vanguard of changes unless it bases itself on the working class. I view with great alarm the note that comrades have sent -- I think it is, precisely, the head of the foundry -- saying that twelve workers submitted their resignations from the party today. That worries me greatly because ultimately, it is at this very time that we need the active involvement, firmness, resolution, and support of the working class in everything the party is unfolding. I am very disinclined to view this in the following way: somehow, just to think, that is the way the times are now; some come, others go. I would ask both the works party committee and simply, party and works comrades to meet the comrades, have a comradely talk, and understand each other over what it is about. As a rule, probably, these conversations will end with understanding being found.

The country's present leadership -- the president, the government, and the Supreme Soviet -- hopes for an active contribution to everything. Not just at the lathe, although certainly at the lathe, too. Here I agree with the comrades who say -- and as the last of them asked -- when are we going to finish with the rallies and with the discussions, and when are we going to work harder, more vigorously, and more productively? Presumably we all of us already realize that the discussions will probably continue, but the center of attention ought to be switched to implementing policy -- both as regards the economy, social reforms, the party itself, and so on and so forth.

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[Excerpts] [Gorbachev continues] In all of this we are relying on the support of the working class. How has it come about? I believe that the Party bears responsibility for this, and perhaps the resignation of certain working class comrades from the Party is an expression of their dissatisfaction over the Party's work from the viewpoint of the support of the working class, and in the sense of its active involvement in all the transformational processes. All the same, it is not normal that in the elections, both the USSR People's Deputies and deputies for the Russian Federation, or even to the local soviets, all categories of workers were very hard pressed. I believe, comrades, and I shall tell you straight, that the soviets will lose out as a result of this. In order to prevent this, the soviets ought to think things through and set up consultative