Plans for Polish labour code dropped


Polish labour minister Elzbieta Rafalska has said that long-awaited plans for a new labour code will not be implemented. 


However, she has promised that the code will be updated, with the changes being discussed in the Social Dialogue Council which brings together unions, employers and the government.


The current labour code dates from 1974, although it has been substantially amended, and a panel of experts has been working on new proposals for 18 months. The panel has looked at changes in both individual and collective employment rights. 


The experts concluded their work in mid-March and submitted their proposals to Rafalska. The suggestions included: extending probation periods; changing the rules on temporary contracts; giving all workers the right to 26 days’ leave a year — an increase from the current 20 for those with less than 10 years’ service; preventing workers being forced into self-employment; changing the regulations on union workplace activity; and new arrangements for overtime working.


However, both unions and the main employers’ associations have rejected the plans. While accepting that the package cannot go ahead against such strong opposition, Rafalska hopes to use some of the proposals as the basis for future changes.