Employers’ hostility revealed

A recent survey by the Warsaw School of Economics has revealed the depth of hostility felt by Poland’s small and medium-sized employers towards unions.

It shows that over a third (35%) of managers and employers considered that unions should not be active in any companies.

Another 26% conceded that they could be active, but only in publicly-owned businesses. Only 19% agreed that unions should be present in companies irrespective of their ownership. The 600 employers in the survey were not just opposed to unions. They also rejected employee involvement. Only a quarter (25.7%) thought employees should play a role in decisions affecting the business.

Commenting on the study, Waldemar Krenc of the Solidarnosc union said: “Some employers would like people to work for nothing and sit quiet”.