Always conscious of the origins of the March 8 holiday, the ZSP participated in protest actions in Warsaw and in Wroclaw, calling all the time for strikes and other direct action against exploitation and all forms of discrimination and domination.
In Warsaw comrades participated in the 20th annual women's demonstration called Manifa. It has often participated but sometimes critically, against aspects of positions which are not in line with our perspective. This year was the same critical perspective, but it was noted that the worst (neo) liberal and bourgeois feminist factions have abandoned this demonstration, thus making it have at least a more leftist character with more space for social politics. Many people welcomed a more radical perspective, which is something that has been changing over recent years.
ZSP in Warsaw decided to address the fact that although the recent slogan of „women's strike” originated in Poland, there is no strike movement. We had long ago reacted critically to the use of the label „strike” to describe any protest action, which was how it was used and is often used here and insist that this cannot substitute real strike action for which fighting organizations are necessary.
Durante la semana pasada, una epidemia de la "Gripe de paloma portadora" se ha extendido a más de 40 oficinas de correos en toda Polonia. La gripe, que se caracteriza por malestar general, es causada por el exceso de trabajo debido a las malas condiciones de trabajo y tiene un gran impacto en la salud. Es por eso que se extendió una llamada a los trabajadores de correos que les aconsejaban que visitaran a sus médicos, lo que ha provocado que una gran cantidad de trabajadores se vayan de baja por enfermedad. En algunas ciudades, hasta un tercio del personal está fuera y en algunas ciudades más pequeñas, nadie está en el trabajo.
En los últimos meses, personas de diferentes profesiones, como lxs maestrxs, se han "enfermado". Se piensa que tales acciones son una forma de evitar las leyes prohibitivas con respecto a las huelgas legales y una forma de eludir a los sindicatos que a menudo desalientan cualquier acción decisiva de los trabajadores.
El aviso de salud se emitió a través de una red de trabajadores postales iniciada por ZSP. Lxs trabajadores elaboraron una lista de 14 demandas, que fueron entregadas por un representante del sindicato antes de que se apoderara la epidemia de gripe. Ellxs exigen, entre otras cosas, un aumento de 1000 zloties y la readmisión de Rafal y Zbigniew, quienes fueron despedidos por su actividad sindical. Otras demandas incluyen postulados que los trabajadores presentaron después de las reuniones nacionales comenzaron a presionar por las preocupaciones de los trabajadores fuera de los sindicatos mayoritarios, que tienden a proteger los intereses de la empresa estatal sobre los intereses de lxs trabajadores.
Over the past week, an epidemic of „Carrier Pigeon Flu” has spread to over 40 post offices throughout Poland. The flu, which is characterized by general malaise, is caused by overwork due to poor working conditions and has great impact on the health. That is why a call was spread to postal workers advising them to see their doctors, which has resulted in a large amount of workers going on sick leave. In some cities, as many as 1/3 of the staff are out and in some smaller towns, nobody is working.
Over the last few months, people from different professions - such as teachers - have „gotten sick”. Such actions are thought to be a way of avoiding the very prohibitive laws regarding legal strikes and a way to circumvent the unions which often discourage any decisive action by the workers.
The health advisory was issued through a network of postal workers started by ZSP. Workers drew up a list of 14 demands, which were delivered by a representative of the union before the flu epidemic took hold. Workers demand, among other things, a raise of 1000 zloties and the reinstatement of Rafal and Zbigniew, who were fired for their union activity. Other demands include postulates which the workers presented after national meetings started to press for the workers concerns outside of the mainstream unionists, which tend to protect the interests of the state-run enterprise over the interests of the workers.
Comrade, can you tell us about the current situation of the IWA and the struggles of the Sections? We know that there were recently solidarity actions for ZSP, which is fighting in the Post Office.
First thanks to the comrades who showed solidarity. It was very important for us and introduced the concept of international solidarity to some workers for the first time.
Right now in the IWA, we see a lot of work at the base and international work to move forward and bring our ideas and struggle to new areas of the globe. As the IWA is an international organization and is federalist, there is some diversity amongst the organizations. This means that our Sections have different opportunities and challenges and some are on different levels of development. But most are involved in workplace or community struggles.
Some Sections have been regularly confronting workplace problems in areas where other unions have not been active, particularly among precarious workers because this is an area where usually the mainstream unions have no interest. We can see many confrontations in workplaces such as restaurants or cafes, in places such as the UK, Spain, Australia, Poland, Slovakia or Serbia. Some of the Sections, like the Solfed, have had quite successful ongoing campaigns which are well-known and effective and in Australia the comrades have been doing very good work in activating immigrant workers, who normally face many challenges in defending their rights. And ZSP many years ago became the first union in its country to organize in temporary work agencies and fight against the numerous abuses found there.
Compañera, ¿nos puedes hablar sobre la situación actual de la AIT y las luchas de las Secciones? Sabemos que, recientemente, hubo acciones de solidaridad en favor de ZSP, que está luchando en la Oficina de Correos.
En primer lugar, gracias a les compañeres que mostraron su solidaridad. Fue muy importante para nosotres y presentó el concepto de solidaridad internacional para algunes compañeres por primera vez.
En este momento, en la AIT, vemos mucho trabajo en la base y trabajo internacional para avanzar y presentar nuestras ideas y nuestra lucha en nuevas áreas del planeta. Como la AIT es una organización internacional y es federalista, hay cierta diversidad entre las organizaciones. Ello significa que nuestras Secciones cuentan con oportunidades y retos diferentes y algunas están en diferentes fases de desarrollo. Aunque la mayoría está implicada en luchas en centros de trabajo o comunitarias.
Algunas Secciones han estado enfrentándose con regularidad a problemas en centros de trabajo en campos en los que otros sindicatos no han estado activos, particularmente entre les trabajadors precaries debido a que éste es un campo en el que normalmente no se interesan los sindicatos de la corriente mayoritaria. Podemos ver muchos enfrentamientos en centros de trabajo tales como restaurantes o cafés, en lugares tales como el Reino Unido, España, Australia, Polonia, Eslovaquia o Serbia. Algunas de las Secciones, como SolFed, están teniendo unas campañas continuadas de bastante éxito que son muy conocidas y efectivas y, en Australia, les compañeres han estado llevando a cabo un trabajo muy bueno activando a les trabajadors inmigrantes, que normalmente se enfrentan a muchos retos a la hora de defender sus derechos. Y ZSP hace muchos años que se convirtió en el primer sindicato de su país en organizarse en las empresas de trabajo temporal y en luchar contra los muchos abusos que encontró en ellas.
ZSP-AlT llama a una semana de acción de protesta contra la represión de los trabajadores de la oficina de correos en Polonia
26 de febrero - 4 de marzo de 2018
Durante casi dos años, los trabajadores postales en toda Polonia han estado protestando por mejores condiciones de trabajo. ZSP ha estado activo en los intentos de coordinar redes nacionales, acciones y sindicalizar a los trabajadores, junto con cientos de otros trabajadores repartidos por todo el país. Todos los trabajadores compartían dos cosas en común: estaban hartos de las pésimas condiciones de trabajo y no estaban satisfechos con el papel de los sindicatos representativos que firmaban varios acuerdos en su nombre con el empleador.
Las principales acciones de la ZSP han incluido exponer los problemas en la Oficina de Correos y proporcionar un foro para que miles de trabajadores se relacionen, haciendo contactos en todo el país y organizando reuniones nacionales, promoviendo el sindicalismo alternativo y organizando y participando en la organización de protestas nacionales, juntos con miles de trabajadores.
ZSP-lWA calls for a week of protest action against the repression of workers from the Post Office in Poland
February 26 - March 4, 2018
For almost two years, postal workers around Poland have been protesting for better working conditions. ZSP has been active in attempts to coordinate national networks, actions and to unionize workers, together with hundreds of other workers spread around the country. All of the workers shared two things in common: they are fed up with the very poor working conditions and were not satisfied with the role of the representative unions which signed various agreements on their behalf with the employer.
Major actions of the ZSP have included exposing the problems in the Post Office and providing a forum for thousands of workers to network, making contacts all over the country and organizing national meetings, promoting alternative unionism and organizing and taking part in organizing national protests, together with thousands of workers.
Hacemos un llamamiento a acciones contra Amazon y la ETT Manpower para los días del 26 a 31 de enero de 2015 (también se pueden hacer piquetes a las ETTs Adecco o Randstad) Los trabajadores de los almacenes de Amazon en Polonia están luchando contra las irregularidades y las malas condiciones de trabajo.
Mientras que los trabajadores se auto organizaban y se lanzaban a la acción sindical en algunas localizaciones europeas, Amazon abrió dos nuevos centros de servicio en Polonia, en los que los trabajadores ganan solamente una fracción de lo que ganan sus colegas europeos. Ha habido muchos informes de abusos en el centro de trabajo, tanto de personas empleadas directamente por Amazon como de trabajadores de agencia (de las agencias Manpower, Adecco y Randstad)
El sindicato de ZSP en Amazon informa de una serie de irregularidades tales como abono tardío de salarios, pagos incorrectos (demasiado menguados), no pagar por el tiempo contratado en el que no se asignó tarea (postojowe), trabajadores sin seguro de salud, riesgos sanitarios y otros problemas tales como diferentes salarios en diferentes almacenes, falta de pausas remuneradas, demasiado poco tiempo para el almuerzo.
We call for actions against Amazon and Manpower work agencies for January 26-31, 2015. (Adecco or Randstad agencies may also be picketed). Workers at Amazon warehouses in Poland are fighting back against irregulariities and poor working conditions.
While workers organize themselves and take industrial action in some European locations, Amazon opened two new fulfillment centers in Poland, where the workers earn only a fraction of their European counterparts. There have been many reports of abuse at the workplace, from both people employed directly by Amazon and by agency workers (from Manpower, Adecco and Ranstad agencies).
The ZSP union in Amazon reports a number of irregularities such a late payments, incorrect payments (too little), not paying for time employed but not assigned work, workers without health insurance, health risks and other problems such as different pay in the two warehouses, lack of paid breaks, too little time for lunch.
We call for actions against Citibank for January 19-20 or February 4-5. The ZSP from Poland is protesting patterns of discrimination and harrassment, including sexual harrassment, in the company.
There are currently three lawsuits against the corporate giant: one relates to the sexual harrassment, another to pay discrimination, where an employee earned about half of other people on the same position and the third related to discrimination suffered by an employee after taking paternity leave and his dismissal for standing up for his rights. These examples are just the tip of the iceberg. We support the workers fighting against abuse in Citibank and struggling to improve their working conditions.
Solidarity pickets can use the slogan: STOP MOBBING, DISCRIMINATION AND SEXUAL HARRASSMENT IN CITIBANK POLAND!
