The New Labour Code Won't Go!!!
- Dział: English news
For many years, during the reign of communist regime, polish labourers have demanded their rights, among other things - stately work conditions, earnings and freedom of associate in labour organizations.
The whole nation has put it's hopes in workers victory in struggle with injustice system. Nowadays as a result of political, economic and technological changes workers' movement is losing significance. The authorities and business elietes want to use this fact and try to impose upon shrinking rows of workers new law controls and take away their social achievements. What is characteristic - in this case both post-communist and post-"Solidarity" parliamentarians are showing their amazing unanimity. They are forming an alliance against hireds. Aim of this association is amendment of labour code (so-called: flexible labour code) which consist in taking away a number of rights from hired workers.
Among other things there are proposed following changes:
- possibility of worker's employment by given employer each time on given period of time;
- actual reduction of rates paying for overtime;
- addiction of severance pays for redundants to seniority at given employer;
- restriction of using paid days-off for looking for a job;
-companies up to 50 hired will not have to form a fund of welfare benefit;
- group dismissals will apply only to companies which employ up to 20 workers;
- possibility of unilateral invalidation of collective agreements between an employer and a staff.
Saying that this kind of actions are useful in struggle with unemployment is downright hypocrisy. Changing the labour code, making it more flexible will not make new workplaces, it is only a way to raise a profit of firms' shareholders including, among the others, the state.
There is a lot of other ways to build up workplaces and decrease the unemployment, e. g. :
- the weekday shortened till 6 hours (30 hours weekly) without decrease of pay;
- organization of public works in the scope of social building, what should goes hand in hand with increase of communes financial resources for council building;
- restriction of taxes and other loads which raise work expenses ( income tax, VAT and Social Security load) which are not directly allocated on welfare benefit but on finance of malfunctioning structures of power; changes in public finances can't be carry out at the expense of workers again;
- tax relieves and administrative allowances at establishing cooperative economic initiatives, economic activities of so-called "third sector" and self-employment.
Why don't politics and business representatives consider these variants of unemployment's prevention. Well, it's easier for them to reach into hired's pocket, to deprive workers of their gained rights, to force them to rivalry for every - even the lowest - salary, to use workers' fear of loss of job and in this way extract a strict obedience.
A lot of unionists notice, that already few years before, when the same law and the same labour code was functioning , we have achieved economic results that were received in Europe with recognition. Than the code wasn't dubious. Pressure from companies and corporations on the parliament is heading for restriction of workers' rights, and as an aim it has reduction of work expenses and improvement of companies' profitability which is expected by the shareholders. Meanwhile this amendment leads to a situation, when even a worker with a very high earnings and a contact of employment on given period of time, will not receive a credit to buy an apartment. The amendment of labour code serves only one of the sides.
Miller's social democratic government first led to liquidation of train reduced fares and now is a supporter of reduction of pensioners' employment as well as anti-worker amendment of labour law. The state eliminates another social protection, reduces programs of social welfare, abolishes the allowances and oneself leaves only the repressive function. It reminds of regular Mafia , that collects ransom in the form of taxes and in exchange it gives an illusion of safety. We could be even glad that this clumsy state giant, eaten away by bureaucracy and corruption resigns from tasks which can't carry out. But the state's place is taken over by international corporations, for which the profit is the most important. Deferred to their interests, policy of reforms and changes is hitting in the whole society.
AGAINST THE EXPLOITATION!
IN DEFENCE OF WORKERS!
FOR SELF-ORGANIZATION OF SOCIETY!