News

The Head of UNI G&P Javier Carles visited Poland from 17th to 19th June. He did so to meet with the President of ZZP Czesława Sonta, to contribute to the campaign of union membership in Smurfit Kappa and to a training workshop between workers of the company.

The meeting with the President of ZZP took place on Friday 17 at their offices in Warsaw. They discussed the launch of the Center for Organising for Central Europe (COZZ) and how to get the most out of it for the graphic and packaging industry in the region.

Javier Carles expressed his concern that members of the Steering Committee of Smurfit Kappa, do not have union leave to properly prepare the collective bargaining which will take place as of September and alternatives were evaluated.

On the same day in the afternoon, a public meeting was held at the gates of the Smurfit Kappa plant near the city of Konin. There hundreds of leaflets and surveys were distributed to workers changing shifts, inviting them to join the union.

On Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 June in Licheń Stary a training workshop on organizing workers took place with the participation of the five Smurfit Kappa plants in Poland.  Rafal Tomasiak, Director of the Center for Organising for Central Europe, was in charge of the workshop.

Finally, Javier Carles agreed with the Steering Committee of Smurfit Kappa to contribute resources so that the Committee may meet on a monthly basis until September in order to prepare in the best way the collective bargaining which will begin this month.