Polish stockists workers mull strike over pay

2018-04-11 12:04:21

Workers at Polish steel stockist and fabricator Huta Pokoj are carrying out a strike referendum that could potentially lead to industrial action and a disruption in operations, Kallanish learns from the Solidarnosc trade union. This follows a picket conducted by 350 of the firm’s 900 staff last Friday.

Unions have been unable to reach an agreement with Pokoj’s management during wage negotiations, which have been ongoing since last year. They are demanding a raise of PLN 300 ($88) in monthly wages, claiming the majority of workers are paid minimum wage or only slightly above. They are also seeking wage increases for workers at other subsidiaries of coal exporter Weglokoks, namely Euroserwis, Euroblacha and Eurokonstrukcje.

Pokoj’s management is offering a PLN 200 increase in exchange for the removal of some employee benefits and reduction in overtime rate, unions claim. Management has said “…the benefits will be added to the basic wage, but we didn’t believe that,” says Solidarnosc section head Joachim Kuchta.

Last September Pokoj chief executive Witold Wojcicki said indebted Pokoj aims to generate in three years’ time sufficient profit to be able to independently finance new investments (see Kallanish 7 September 2017). The focus will be on profitability over sales and eliminating the sale of unprofitable products. Wojcicki became ceo the previous June.