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.