<P> On September 2, Lech Wałęsa appeared in the July Manifesto coalmine, the last place that continued the strike . After his appeal, and a long argument, the miners decided to give up . The strike at July Manifesto was the longest one of Communist Poland . </P> <P> On August 17, the Port of Szczecin began to strike . In the following days, other companies from Szczecin stopped working, and the Interfactory Strike Committee was founded . It issued a statement, which consisted of four points, one of which was the demand of legalization of Solidarity . On August 28, the Committee announced that Wałęsa was its sole representative . In response, Wałęsa sent to Szczecin a statement about his meeting with Czesław Kiszczak, during which the future Round Table talks had been discussed . Nevertheless, the strikes in Szczecin did not end until September 3 . Wałęsa had informed the public about talks with the regime during the August 21 demonstration in Gdańsk . </P> <P> By far the biggest strike of summer 1988 took place in Stalowa Wola Steelworks, in which around 10,000 workers participated, and the plant was surrounded by militarized police units . The Stalowa Wola strike was so significant, that it was dubbed "the fourth nail in the coffin of Communism". </P> <P> Since the Steelworks was an arms manufacturer, the factory, which in the 1980s employed around 21,000 people, was under a watchful eye of the security services, and its employees were strictly prohibited from undertaking any kind of oppositional activities . Nevertheless, across the 1980s, it was one of main centers of protests and demonstrations, and in spring of 1988, Stalowa Wola workers started the first strike of that year, which ended after a few days, and which was a prelude of the summer events . On August 22 in the morning, workers of the plant decided to organize a sit - in, with only one demand - legalization of Solidarity . This decision was crucial for further events in Poland, as strikes in Upper Silesia were slowly coming to an end . Led by Wieslaw Wojtas, the strike lasted 11 days . Workers were supported by local priests, and activists of the so - called Supporting Office, who delivered food, medicine, blankets, helped those beaten by government security forces, but also informed Western Europe about situation in Stalowa Wola . Every day, citizens of the town gathered by the Gate 3 to the steelworks, where local parish priest, reverend Edmund Frankowski, celebrated two masses (August 26, and 31), which were attended by up to 10,000 people . Frankowski actively supported the strikers, in the sermons, he urged the faithful to help the workers . </P>

Where was a major strike held in poland