News

Rolf Büttner, President of UNI Post and Logistics, visited Poland on 18 – 22 February 2008 at the invitation of Solidarnosc and during a visit to Mr Jankaski, the Deputy Minister for Infrastructure who is also responsible for the postal sector, he was able to obtain information about the plans of the Polish government with regard to the transposition into Polish law of the new EU Postal Services Directive. The Polish Post is still a state-run enterprise. With its 100,000 employees, it is the single largest employer in Poland. The Polish government wants to help the Polish Post to find its feet on the market and the intention is to maintain the level of services currently provided. The one question that remains unanswered for the time being is how the universal service should be financed. The social dialogue with the 45 unions that are represented in the Polish Post was initiated soon after the new government came to power. The Polish government is interested in an exchange of information and opinion on the future shape of the postal sector and welcomes the opportunity to hear about the experiences of UNI Post and Logistics. Rolf Büttner appealed to the Minister to speed up the current negotiations with the unions and to conclude an agreement as soon as possible. The UNI affiliate Solidarnosc can count on the support of all UNI affiliates in the event of a labour dispute.



At a meeting with the Director General and the Deputy Director General of the Polish Post, Mr Polakawski and Mr Rawluzko respectively, provided information about the plans of Poczta Polska to modernise and restructure its services. Polish Post has little time to adapt to the opening of the postal market. They said it would be useful if they had the support of UNI and Solidarnosc to prevent market liberalisation before 2013. The regulation of the postal market and the activities of new operators were taking place under unfair conditions. There are already 155 private postal operators, some of which do not comply with legal provisions. The supervisory authority is doing nothing to prevent this from happening. The two sides agreed that a new postal law was needed to ensure the application of fair competition rules.



Discussions on the policies being developed for the postal sector were also held with the President of Solidarnosc, Janus Sniadek, the President of the Solidarnosc postal sector, Bogumil Nowiki, as well as with the international secretary, Wieslawa Marzarska. Rolf Büttner then met the whole national executive committee of the postal sector. He reassured participants that they could count on the support of UNI in the current dispute with the Polish Post. It was also agreed that a meeting on postal reform in Poland would be organised with the support of UNI. The Friedrich-Ebert Foundation has also, at the request of UNI, pledged its support. The meeting is intended to bring together the Minister in charge of the postal sector, the head of Polish Post, members of the Polish parliament, members of the Senate (upper house), trade unionists and representatives from consumer protection organisations.



On the final day a visit was arranged to the Warsaw postal sorting centre where UNI was able to obtain information about working and pay conditions of postal workers in Poland. This was followed by a meeting with a group of workers which resulted in discussions about the work being done by UNI and the need to be organised in a strong trade union.