2015 ITUC Global Rights Index - Poland

2015 ITUC Global Rights Index Rating: 5

Physical attacks:

On 9 February 2015, police interfered violently in a demonstration in front of the company Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa. About 20 people were injured when police used water cannons and tear gas against workers who were protesting against austerity measures.

Anti-union discrimination:

Anti-union discrimination is widespread in the country. For example, the fixed-term contracts of workers employed at Biedronka Jeronimo Martens Poland were not renewed due to their union membership. A cashier working in the Biedronka shops No. 1796 and 2091 in Malbork was receiving bonuses on a regular basis until she joined NSZZ Solidarność in March 2010. The company stopped renewing her fixed-term contract after that. Previously, district managers publicly urged workers to withdraw their union membership.

Workers at Trend Fashion went on a protest against low wages in mid-2014 and were supported by trade unionists from Nowa Huta Steelworks Arcelor Mittal Poland S.A. By the end of 2014, the company was liquidated, however the manufacturing structures were transferred to another company. The new management offered employment contracts to all workers, except those who were members of the management board of NSZZ Solidarność.

In February 2014, workers employed at a megastore Leroy Merlin in Białystok formed a trade union, initially with 20 members. The new union tried to inform the employer about these developments. However, management refused to meet the representatives and to recognise the union. Instead, Paweł Bednarek, president of the enterprise union, was dismissed with immediate effect allegedly because he did not fulfill his responsibilities to the satisfaction of his employer. Furthermore, he was banned from entering the company.

Acts of interference:

In September 2014, the management of the company Stako refused to recognise a newly formed trade union. Before accepting the notice of information about the formation of the trade union, management summoned the chairman of the union and informed him that there would be staff reductions unless the union was dissolved.

The ITUC Global Rights Index Ratings:

1 // Irregular violation of rights
Collective labour rights are generally guaranteed. Workers can freely associate and defend their rights collectively with the government and/or companies and can improve their working conditions through collective bargaining. Violations against workers are not absent but do not occur on a regular basis.

2 // Repeated violation of rights
Countries with a rating of 2 have slightly weaker collective labour rights than those with the rating 1. Certain rights have come under repeated attacks by governments and/or companies and have undermined the struggle for better working conditions.

3 // Regular violation of rights
Governments and/or companies are regularly interfering in collective labour rights or are failing to fully guarantee important aspects of these rights. There are deficiencies in laws and/or certain practices which make frequent violations possible.

4 // Systematic violation of rights
Workers in countries with the rating 4 have reported systematic violations. The government and/or companies are engaged in serious efforts to crush the collective voice of workers putting fundamental rights under threat.

5 // No guarantee of rights
Countries with the rating of 5 are the worst countries in the world to work in. While the legislation may spell out certain rights workers have effectively no access to these rights and are therefore exposed to autocratic regimes and unfair labour practices.

5+ // No guarantee of rights due to the breakdown of the rule of law
Workers in countries with the rating 5+ have equally limited rights as countries with the rating 5. However, in countries with the rating 5+ this is linked to dysfunctional institutions as a result of internal conflict and/or military occupation. In such cases, the country is assigned the rating of 5+ by default.