History of trade unions in Poland
The history of Polish trade unions to the year 1869.
The first hundred and twenty years from 1869 to 1989
As in most European countries, there were in Poland since the end of the 19th century, active trade unions, particularly in the former Prussian and Habsburg division areas. In 1869 the first trade union of machine builders and metal workers in Bydgoszcz. 1889, the first general " union mutual aid " ( ZWP ) was founded in Bytom in Silesia. Some of the historical trade unions tacked by all system changes, as today the largest single union in the country, founded in 1905, the teachers association ZNP. Around 1906 there were already more than 2,000 unions in about 30 central associations. Usually, the trade union movement was fragmented ideologically.
After the German attack on Poland on 1 September 1939 all socio-political organizations, including trade unions were banned by the German occupiers. Many activists were deported and murdered in concentration camps, others died in the resistance.
After 1945, the communist system, all re-established unions turned the same. The establishment union was the constitutive basic element of trade union organizations to prevent and to solidarity in combines and regions. Thus, an attempt was made to turn it into an instrument of " the Polish United Workers' Party ( PZPR ).
In contrast, suggested repeated violent resistance of the working people in the industrial centers, as in Poznan in 1956, on the Baltic coast in 1970, in Radom and Ursus 1976 and at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk in 1980. The August 1980 resulting establishment of the " Independent, self-governing Trade Union Solidarity " ( NSZZ Solidarność ) led as mass political organization with up to ten million members in the fall of 1980 on the dissolution of the party dependent " Central Council of Trade Unions " ( CRZZ ). During the martial law of 13 December 1981 to July 1983, the Solidarity was banned and initiated the rebuilding controlled state -dependent trade unions. From the farms out branch unions were created to coordinate their 1984 " All-Poland Trade Union Federation " ( OPZZ ) was established as an umbrella organization. He was not only transferred the former CRZZ, but also of the banned Solidarity trade union, the entire fortune.
Development of trade unions and membership after 1989
The OPZZ remained after the turn of 1989, the largest trade union federation, but recorded like all other unions a dramatic decline in membership. Were organized mid-90s 4.5 million people in the OPZZ, the membership declined in 2001 to less than two million and is estimated to be 750,000 in 2007. From OPZZ in early 2002 split from the new Trade Union Confederation FZZ Forum, which organizes 420,000 members mainly in public services, local government, on the railroad and in state enterprises.
NSZZ Solidarity had ten million members in the fall of 1981. She could not regain their original meaning and membership after being re- legalized in April 1989. 2001 were still about 1.1 million counted, there were only 721 856 members in December 2005. There are dramatic differences between the public enterprises and services, where 28 % of employees are organized, and the private sector, where only 3% are organized. From 1982 to 2005, the union density is thus fallen from about 80 % to below 14%. This even dramatic decline has meant that Poland is one of the countries in the EU with the lowest unionization. The majority of union members ( 51.7 %) are women: particularly in education, healthcare and the public sector. Also, 35 % of the members of the mining unions are women. Of the 25 -year-old employees are just 2.4% of member unions.
For the rapid downward trend following reasons are mainly mentioned:
- Massive decline of traditional industries and sectors.
- In privatized firms with over 250 employees exist in most cases unions continue in the medium-sized companies in about one third. In small firms are virtually no union presence.
- Private-sector start-ups: the big companies are only 5 % of companies with Polish and 33% of workers are unionized establishments with foreign capital, in the medium and small businesses, there are almost no unions.
- Technology - oriented companies are trade away their young, often university-educated workforces more about the IT sector.
- Because of high unemployment, which in some regions 30% and the national average is 13% (as of May 2007) reached many workers are afraid to take the road to a trade union organization.
The role of trade unions in Polish politics after the system change
Solidarity was the beginning of both union and political movement. From this milieu out groupings and political parties formed an ongoing basis. A total of 23 parties saw their roots and their leadership staff of the Solidarity connected, including today's largest government party " Civic Platform " (PO) and the main opposition party "Law and Justice " (PiS ). Although the formerly close ties between political parties and the trade unions weakened after 2000, the early visible relationship lines continue to hold. The Solidarity sympathized with the conservative parties of national, Catholic right OPZZ tends traditionally to alliances with the post-communist left.
The country's trade unions were politicized over the entire transformation period of time high. The first Solidarity chairman Lech Walesa was elected President in 1990, and many other trade unionists occupied government offices, parliamentary seats and boards of directors of large public companies. Thus Solidarity secured great influence, but they lost most of their leadership cadre of the policy. This weakened their union competence and removed them from their members.
In the 1997 parliamentary elections the grouped around the Solidarity coalition AWS went to, which consisted of Solidarity, 20 mini - parties and 16 other groups. The AWS was just under 34% of the valid votes cast by far the largest party and so won 201 seats in the Sejm (of 460 ) and 51 seats in the Senate (out of 100 ), which, in the second Polish Chamber had an absolute majority. The union presented with the Premier Jerzy Buzek and the majority of the territories occupied by the AWS ministerial posts. The union president Marian Krzaklewski ( February 1991-September 2002 ) was also chairman of the AWS and his group in the Sejm. His main collaborators came from the National Commission of the union and participated in negotiations, even in cases where they did not have a seat in parliament. The trade union, party and parliamentary leader Krzaklewski and members of the National Commission of Solidarity so formed a parliamentary influence except center.
The " union rule " ended in 2001. Through internal quarrels and accusations of corruption weakened abolished the AWS in the Sejm elections in 2001 not required for election coalitions hurdle of 8% and has since represented with no original members in parliament. It ruled now a left-wing alliance led by the " Federal Democratic Left " (SLD ) with a high proportion of OPZZ cadres as MPs. 2005 sparked the Solidarity -related party "Law and Justice " (PiS ) with its partners, the Left Alliance OPZZ close off the well after 2005 continue to belong to seven MPs from the OPZZ.
The associated with the reform policies of the nineties impoverishment of certain segments of the population, layoffs and rising unemployment were not only the government but also the union attributed. The experience of direct involvement in Polish politics were thus quite negative. Through her part in the government, the unions have much to lose prestige and support. Still to this day believes a large part of the officers and members that leave make a difference in their favor only its own people in politics. The PiS party is favored open from the Solidarity trade union. During the election campaign for the presidential elections of 2005, the population called the Solidarity intensively on to vote for the PiS candidate Lech Kaczyński. In the union weekly " Tygodnik Solidarność " the policy of the PiS is supported, from 2005 to 2007 in coalition with the Agrarian Party Self-Defence ( self-defense ) and the League of Polish Families (LPR ) reigned.
Also emphasized is non-partisan giving FZZ forum would almost slipped into a party loyalty. In June 2005, the board of the FZZ decided to sign an agreement with the populist Self-Defence. The document has since been terminated in August 2005 by the FZZ because Sambroona not presented to the Federation of Trade Unions agreed list places for the parliamentary election.
The Current Situation of the Polish trade unions
Polish trade union landscape is by the three national umbrella organizations, coined many autonomous organizations at regional level ( for example, " Sierpień 80 " and Solidarity 80 ) and unbound unions in individual establishments. All Polish trade union confederations recognize the social market economy, which parliamentary democracy and European integration.
All unions, also NSZZ Solidarność, brought their usual old structures into new roles and tasks in the transformation period after 1989. Despite numerous attempts at reform are still suffering from all the confederations and sectoral organizations in these structures, which are the current challenges not fair, but have so solidified that in the medium sweeping changes are hardly possible. Structural reform has been, but for which, in practice, result in any major changes to a magic formula that occurs at every congress and in the programmatic documents in multiple variations. Although they stand for political reforms, they are about their own organizational structures and Finance conservative and resistant to reform. Professional organizations often reflect the Polish state economic structures of the early eighties, but not the realities of today's globalized market economy. The regional structures often do not follow the meantime also carried Regional State reforms.
NSZZ "Solidarity", founded in 1980 and 1989, consists of 37 regions and 16 industry unions. It is run by Janusz Sniadek since September 2002. The OPZZ founded in 1984, with around 90 trade unions in 12 industries and 16 regional councils Province Ján Guz since May 2004 as Chairman. Founded in 2002 FZZ forum with 77 trade unions in 8 sectors led by Wieslaw Siewierski.
The Catholic Church and the worship of the Pope characterize particularly the work of NSZZ Solidarność. At the 20th National Congress of Solidarity in the summer of 2006, typically a long call to the memory of Pope John Paul II was adopted. During the first visit of Pope Benedict XVI. were ongoing nationwide strike action by health workers and other sectors interrupted in order not to disturb the distinguished visitor and to enable the Solidarity members to participate in the Papal Masses. NSZZ Solidarność, OPZZ and FZZ forum have come together about 1.9 million members. In the smaller unbound unions should be a member of another 300,000 people. Only rarely statistics are collected, which is extremely difficult due to the strong fragmentation and inadequate networking anyway.
The base unions are mostly " permanent establishment social clubs " or even " function groups " each for management, sales, logistics, foremen, technicians, etc. Partial act this " permanent establishment social clubs " only in its narrowest section area and know little about the trade union work in other locations of the company. Company and group work in networks of trade unions takes place only in individual cases and then with foreign, often German support.
High degree of organization is still in mining, metallurgy, and in the education sector. All state mines are unionized. Besides the two big miners union Solidarność and OPZZ there are interest groups of individual professional groups and a number of other smaller organizations. The degree of organization, depending on the mine between 70 % and 90%. In 97 % of the farms in the country, there are no trade unions, especially in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In the operating segment, however, in the workers' organizations exist at all, there are over 23,000 unions with legal personality and over 300 inter-company organizations wishing to apply as a national trade union confederations. All are properly registered with the courts. Individual memberships in branch unions or national federations do not exist.
The fragmentation is due to a law that is only small numerical limits for the establishment of workers' organizations. There ranging from 10 employees to register a trade union founding committee. Company with more than five to more than a dozen unions are not uncommon. The record of the factions has a company with 210 employees and 17 unions. Within many companies cooperate unions. There are also cases where they are at odds and complete behind the backs of unions competing with the employer collective agreements. Many operating unions Solidarity also belong to any industry or trade union, but only the national covenant.
In general, trade unions, if they exist, most at the operating level, where the membership fees collected and mostly well spent. The finances are out most clearly in Solidarity. The membership fees are distributed as follows: 60% reserves the operating committee, 25 % of the Regional Board, 8%, the National Commission ( umbrella organization ), 5% and 2% of the strike fund, the industry secretary. OPZZ and FZZ forum have bigger problems with the financing of their activities. In both cases, the contribution rate of 7 cents per member per month will be paid to the centers. This is far too little to maintain the work of the umbrella organizations on the content of a high level. In recent years, particularly Solidarność and OPZZ were forced to vigorously conserve by office closures and staff reductions. From the above two unions OPZZ seems to be in a materially better position because he had taken over most of the Altgewerkschaftsvermögens ( inner-city homes, sanatoriums and rest homes ), and for years was mainly to chat with income from renting and leasing. Similar sources of funding have some branch unions of OPZZ and Forum which have private assets. Until now, the cooperation of the unions with civil society organizations was limited. The conservative unions are generally careful to be suspicious of consumer and environmental protection organizations pursuing different goals and sometimes represent conflicting interests.
Also Polish trade unions are often unable to timely responses to new challenges. Other non-governmental organizations to come to them regularly before. Some topics of today's labor market, such as gender issues, bullying, protection of interests have been harmed by the large retail chains workers, temporary work, temporary work are initially become thanks to the civil society, the media and ad hoc incurred socio-political associations on topics of public debate, often in the substantial initial reluctance on the part the trade unions.
Workers ' councils were first introduced by the Law of 7 April 2006. Thus, the directive of the European Union will be implemented through information and consultation rights of employees of 11 March 2002. However, the workers councils have no participation rights on decisions of the managements. Where there are no trade unions, workers ' councils can be a precursor for the formation of a union organization.
The international ties of the Polish trade unions
NSZZ Solidarność was in Brussels since 1986 Unions Free with the International Confederation (ICFTU, since November 2006 ITUC) and the World Confederation of Labour (WCL, since November 2006 IGB merged), since 1995 the European Trade Union Confederation ( ETUC) and since 1997 the Trade Union Advisory Committee of the " Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development" (TUAC / OECD). The sector unions NSZZ Solidarność usually include up to the trade secretariats of the ETUC.
The OPZZ belonged from 1984 to 1991 to the Communist World Federation of Trade Unions ( WFTU ) in Prague, where he had from 1991 to 1997 only observer status. In March 2006 he joined the European Trade Union Confederation, after he was able to clear a year-long dispute over real estate assets with Solidarity. The largest union in the country, the OPZZ Member ZNP, was a member of the Teachers Federations of both the ICFTU as well as the WCL. Many other industry unions of OPZZ also long been a thing of the industrial structures of the ETUC and the ITUC. These include printers, the construction industry, the forestry and agriculture, mining, chemicals and energy.
The FZZ Forum was a member of the European Confederation of Independent Trade Unions ( CESI Civil Service Association ) since September 2003. It was excluded because they no longer paid their membership dues.