On 22 September, around 5,000 public service workers, including policemen and firefighters, protested in central Warsaw against plans to freeze their salaries in 2011. The protesters marched to parliament where they handed in a petition demanding a repeal of austerity measures planned in the 2011 draft budget. “The government’s idea of freezing wages is ridiculous. Who will do the work of the police, the fire service or the public administration? In two or three years they will have all moved to work in the private sector instead,” said Robert Osmycki, head of the firefighters’ section of the Solidarity union, “Who then will provide security for the state and for society?” It may be noted that Poland has weathered the global financial crisis relatively well, with GDP growth expected to exceed 3% in 2010, though the centre-right government is struggling with a budget deficit of about 7% of GDP (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 3 July-August 2010).
English: http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp ...
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© ETUI aisbl, Brussels 2009. For more
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