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Smurfit Kappa workers in Poland score major success in negotiating vastly improved agreement with management

Smufit Kappa workers in Poland have negotiated improved pay and work conditions. This is a major victory resulting from a joint campaign organized by the Polish union ZZP, UNI Global & UNI Europa Graphical Unions.

This breakthrough was announced at the UNI Europa Regional Conference in Rome, by a group of Smurfit Kappa Poland workers from the ZZP union.

Details of the agreement:

• 4-6% pay increase depending on current wage for all employees except board of directors and higher management.
• Introduction of financial service benefit after 10, 20, 30, 40 years
• Immediate start of negotiations on job evaluation scheme proposed by the employer  
• Pay, bonus scheme and collective agreement negotiations to start in August/September 2016

In addition union facilities are to be improved at the Smurfit Kappa sites, including additional union rooms, notice boards, and leaflet stands.  ZZP union executive members are also to have permanent access to all sites and space is to be provided for workers to meet with union representatives.

Piotr Barański, a printer and ZZP union member, thanked the UNI family for its support and solidarity.

“We have made progress in the relations with our employer but at the same time we are conscious of the fact that we still have a long road ahead of us. We will keep you informed about any new developments in those relations as well as the development of our union in Smurfit Kappa Poland.”

See the video message from Smurfit Kappa Poland here:

Earlier this month UNI Global Union, German and Polish Smurfit Kappa unions, protested in Berlin against the company´s anti-union policies in Poland.

The demonstration took place on March 1st in front of the RISI Eighteenth European Annual Conference, which featured CEOs of companies like Progroup, Sappi Fine Paper Europe, Stora Enso, Smurfit Kappa, Graphic Packaging Holding Company, UPM and SAP. Among them was Tony Smurfit, Chief Executive Officer of Smurfit Kappa Group.

ZZP Union President Czeslawa Sonta welcomed the agreement and said the Smurfit Kappa Polish workers now have the same rights as any other employee of the company around the world.