For more than two years the management of the Statistical Office in Opole, Poland, has violated a number of workers' rights and harassed their employees because of their affiliation with Workers' Initiative.

At the end of 2008 seven members of the Workers' Initiative were illegally fired, including the chair and vice-chair of the Workers' Initiative committee in the Statistical Office. After a one year battle in court the judges ruled that the workers should be re-employed. Despite this, the management did not pay the workers the full compensation, and one worker was not even allowed to enter the company office for nearly a month.

In addition, an investigation by the government labor inspection agency revealed that there are more irregularities in the company. More illegal practices (according to the Labor Code) came to light each time they checked. For instance, disabled people were forced to work overtime.

The activists of Workers' Initiative are still being persecuted. Officially, that is due to necessary cuts of staff, but the real reason is repression against worker activists.

Workers' Initiative asks to send solidarity letters directly to the executives of the Statistical Office in Opole:

Ewa Szkic-Czech
Director
Statistical Office in Opole
Krakowska 53a
45-951 Opole
Poland

Please, also send letters to the state institution responsible for the management of the Statistical Office:

Departament Kontroli Kancelarii Prezesa Rady Ministrów
(Control Department in the Office of the Prime Minister)
Al. Ujazdowskie 1/3
00-583 Warszawa

Poland