our wages were late, and now, we are overdrawn at the bank. 75% of our family's income has just disappeared. >> the dance is more than a shipyard. it is an emblem. it is the birthplace of the solidarity trade union movement. in 1980, shipyard workers went on strike, and it spread to the rest of the country. they forced the communist government to its knees. on august 31, 1980, the stunning announcement -- the people's republic of poland granted official recognition. finally, they told the assembled crowd that they have a right to a free, independent, self- governing union, and they have the right to strike. the only independent trade union in the east bloc soon had more than 10 million members. it became a mass movement, shaking the regime to its foundation. for communism, it was the beginning of the end. today, it is a shadow of its former self. only 1 million members remain, and the union has little political clout. longtime supporters like this 33-year member feel betrayed. >> we went on strike in 1980 to improve our lives. some of us are doing much better today, but only a few. ordinary

our wages were late, and now, we are overdrawn at the bank. 75% of our family's income has just disappeared. >> the dance is more than a shipyard. it is an emblem. it is the birthplace of the solidarity trade union movement. in 1980, shipyard workers went on strike, and it spread to the rest of the country. they forced the communist government to its knees. on august 31, 1980, the stunning announcement -- the people's republic of poland granted official recognition. finally, they told the assembled crowd that they have a right to a free, independent, self- governing union, and they have the right to strike. the only independent trade union in the east bloc soon had more than 10 million members. it became a mass movement, shaking the regime to its foundation. for communism, it was the beginning of the end. today, it is a shadow of its former self. only 1 million members remain, and the union has little political clout. longtime supporters like this 33-year member feel betrayed. >> we went on strike in 1980 to improve our lives. some of us are doing much better today, but only a few. ordinary

we're talking about those hefty overdraft charges to cover payments when checking accounts are overdrawn. turns out the banks are making most of their fees from thighs these penalties. nbc's tom costello has more for us tonight. >> reporter: it's one of the most common financial mistakes americans make, overdrawing from their bank accounts. maybe forgetting the mortgage or car payment is about to be deducted. then sliding the debit card for groceries or a cup of coffee. soon there's an extra $30 or more to cough up. since 2010, customers who have wanted their banks to cover their overdrafts have had to opt in for the coverage. now the government reports those overdraft fees make up a staggering 60% of all bank fee revenue. $32 billion a year. richard cordray runs the government's consumer financial protection bureau. >> we're concerned that concerned that the complexity of overdraft practices mean that consumers may not be able to anticipate and avoid unnecessary charges. >> reporter: while some banks limit overdraft fees to two a day, others charge as many as 12 per day. some banks char

he's overdrawn his accounts and he's punished by going bankrupt. the ecb says you will not go bankrupt. we'll back you up. >> no, the ecb does not say that. the ecb says if there is a confidence krirs is confidence crisis in the euro, which is threatening not beyond what the fundamentals are, we will intervene but not to ensure the solvency of the countries if they're profitable. in fact, in order they have to sign programs with the imf and european union to make sure they do not go bankrupt, that they do take measures that are enough to make them solvent. >> and joining me in the studio is the vice president of intelligence at karsten. any investor risk from the court hearings? >> no, i wouldn't overestimate this. we have to keep in mind what are we talking about today? one part is the question of the constitutionality of the zen right. today is the follow-up, the main proceedings following up on last year's verdict from september when the constitutional court cleared the way for the bounds stock to ratify. on that front, it is inconceivable that

we're talking about the hefty overdraft charges when accounts are overdrawn. out most banks are making most of their fees from those charges. >> it's one of the more common financial mistakes americans make. overdrawing from their bank accounts maybe forgetting the mortgage or car payment is about to be deducted then sliding the card for a debit or coffee charge. they have had to opt in for overdraft coverage but now the fees make up a staggering 60% of the overall bank revenue. >> we're concerned that the complexity of overdraft practices mean consumers may not be able to amendment and avoid. >> while many limit to two per day some charge when the overdraft is a penny others not if the overdraft is less than $5. the average customer who paid overdraft fees paid $225 over the course of the year. >> the fine print is very thick and in a lot of situations they think on the face of it it's protection against overdraft but a lot of hidden fees come behind this protection. >> without, banks simply refuse to pay the bill. while fees can be steep the banking industry