nd were not ready for such reforms, and, in December 1970, protest riots occurred in Poland's coastal cities of Gdansk, Szczecin, and Gdynia.
These riots brought down the Gomulka government, and Edward Gierek became the new prime minister. The Gierek government revoked both the incentive pay program, and the price increases. The Gierek government sought greater trade and financial assistance from the west, as a means of improv ing Poland's economy. While the Gierek government was partly 4successful in each of these efforts, it was apparent that the earlier objectives of the Gomulka government greater produc tivity and price realism remained valid.
The Gierek government attempted to introduce price increases in both 1976 and 1980. Each initiative resulted in waves of labor unrest and riots. In 1976, the government rescinded the price increases. In the 1980 strikes, however, the workers demanded more than just the revoking of the price increases. Following two months of labor unrest which crip pled th
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