The leaders of the three trade union confederations met to consider joint strike actions in the autumn in protest over government plans to increase flexible working hours and cut overtime payments. They also want a substantial increase of the minimum wage. The deputy prime minister told Polish Radio that trade unionists should call off planned strikes as the country fights to maintain economic growth. He called for dialogue between unions and government, as well as between unions and employers, after the Solidarity trade union, threatened a 'general strike' over pay and working conditions after talks with the government ended in stalemate in April. The plan to coordinate protest action is historic.
English: http://www.thenews.pl/1/12/Artykul/134897,Deputy-PM ...
http://www.thenews.pl/1/12/Artykul/136221,Polands-trade-unions-to-coordinate ...
For more information, please contact the editor Jan Cremers, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies (AIAS) cbn-aias@uva.nl or the communications officer at the ETUI, Mariya Nikolova mnikolova@etui.org. For previous issues of the Collective bargaining newsletter please visit http://www.etui.org/E-Newsletters/Collective-bargaining-newsletter. You may find further information on the ETUI at www.etui.org, and on the AIAS at www.uva-aias.net.