14 November, 2008Management illegally terminated strikers' labour contracts and attempted to break the strike by hiring replacement workers.
POLAND: Members of the Polish metal union, NSZZ Solidarnosc, who work at Korean-owned Dong Yang Electronics have moved into the fourth week of their strike after management terminated labour contracts with strikers and hired replacement workers.
About 200 Dong Yang Electronics workers in Mlawa, Poland have been on strike since October 16 demanding better wages and compensation. Management illegally terminated the labour contracts of some 180 strikers, including the union shop steward, and has hired replacement workers.
Management has refused to negotiate with the union and workers, despite many attempts and involvement of the local authorities and Ministry of Labour as mediators.
"These actions by the employer showed absolute disrespect for labour standards and the law granting the workers the right to strike," reported NSZZ Solidarnosc in a statement. Poland has ratified internationally recognised core labour standards including Convention 87 and 98 of the International Labour Organisation ensuring Freedom of Association and the Right to Organise and Collectively Bargain.
In a letter to Dong Yang Electronics, International Metalworkers' Federation general secretary Marcello Malentacchi said "Workers in Poland enjoy basic labour protections outlined by the ILO. As a foreign owned company operating in Poland it is your responsibility to abide by the laws of that country and respect basic labour rights and worker protections."
Workers held a demonstration on November 14 calling for:
- basic wages to be increased by 9% for all the workers in the company and the minimum wage in the company to be set at 1500 PLN gross ( 400€);
- the increase should be retroactive to March 2008; and
- reinstatement of all workers fired for striking.
Send letters of protest to:
Dong Yang Electronics, Mlawa
Fax: +48 23 655 33 50
email: [email protected]
with copies to: [email protected]