Poland: government proposes talks over a “social pact” with social partners

In its efforts to address the economic and social repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Polish government proposed on 20 November to negotiate a package of measures with social partners in the country’s Social Dialogue Council (RDS). It is expected that these talks will yield two sets of measures. Firstly, in light of the urgency of the situation, social partners are to negotiate a new “anti-crisis package”, which will comprise health-related and economic measures. In the second stage, in the aftermath of the pandemic, employers, trade unions and the government will have to embark on negotiations as regards labour law, the economy, health and education. As Jacek Męcina, from the employer organisation Lewiatan, points out: “Today, companies are lost when they find out about new restrictions overnight that are neither clear nor lacking ambiguity. While it’s true companies survived the first wave, thanks to their own savings, state aid and the fact that they were able to return to relative normality for a period of time, now they fear for their cash flow and their future.” Union representatives meanwhile want to ensure “a balance between employees and employers, improved working conditions and a rapid increase in pay”, while at the same time ensuring company profitability remains intact, but this cannot be achieved “at the expense of employees”, says Andrezj Radzikowski of the OPZZ union.