[Joint statment signed by 38 workplace sections of OZZ Inicjatywa Pracownicza and 6 sections of other trade unions]

Over the past weeks, the coronavirus pandemic has revealed who actually assures our society’s survival. These are logistics, healthcare, and retail workers, as well as employees from other sectors. It is we who keep Poland running. At the same time, management, CEOs, bankers and politicians are self-isolating home. They can do so because basic needs and services are being produced and delivered by an army of workers who more often than not, earn the lowest wages while working in the worst conditions. What more, in the current situation these workers are risking their health and lives. For decades now the elites have diminished the significance of workers to keeping our society functioning. When we demanded social security and higher pay, they told us that’s it’s our responsibility to provide for ourselves. Today, the elites are telling us that we have to keep working to ensure their prosperity. They’re saying that without us, this country will collapse.

From the very outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic, the Worker’s Initative Union — OZZ Inicjatywa Pracownicza (IP) has been working in defence of workers’ rights. The union focuses on the fight for secure and hygienic working conditions (which includes a complete closure of those workplaces whose activity is non-essential during the epidemic). At the same time, knowing that attempts will be made to make workers shoulder the costs of the ensuing economic crisis, the union is preparing for the conflicts that will arise. These activities are carried out by union representatives in branches locally and nationally.

Below is the detailed report on the union’s activities in March 2020.

Statement by National Committee of IP - The Workers’ Initiative Union (OZZ Inicjatywa Pracownicza) in response to the Polish government’s emergency measures in light of the Corona crisis

In response to the crisis brought on by the Corona virus pandemic, the government of Poland adopted a set of emergency measures they call the „anti-crisis shield”. Both the amount of money that the “shield” allocates for relief as well as the remedies it proposes, are either completely insufficient or downright misguided. Many of the “shield’s” measures will lead to lowering wages, weakening unions and making workers even more subordinate to our bosses than we already are. We categorically oppose all wage cuts: workers will not shoulder the costs of yet another crisis. Below, we highlight the government’s worst ideas and oversights. In what follows, we present a list of 10 demands that should be met and implemented immediately.