“Waiters’ dictatorship…”. The fight of food establishments in Warsaw and Lublin in 1919 in the local press

Abstract

Poland’s regaining of independence in 1918 contributed to increased activi­ty of workers’ movements. Employees who wanted improved working con­ditions, normalised work hours and increased wages in many cases organi­sed demonstrations to achieve their goals. Members of the Trade Union of Waiters with the central office in Warsaw, who could not communicate with the stubborn owners of restaurants and cafes, undertook atypical forms of striking, which sometimes became a threat to the health and lives of the customers. Members of the Lublin branch, following the example of the wa­iters from Warsaw, organised many protests in restaurants, at the same time disputing with their employers in the local press.