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In response to the situation at the Polish Post Office, ZSP called for international solidarity actions to be held at Polish Embassies and Consulates. This is a direct response to another dismissal of our union activist, this time in Wroclaw. Earlier 2 people were fired for their roles in organizing protests. The Post Office has also been trying to bring serious but completely fictious criminal charges against another worker, who doesn't even work in the Post Office, but was involved in the organization of the workers' protests.

The support was good from the organizations of the International Workers Association and other friends. There were protests and leafleting in a dozen international cities - Bratislava, Valencia, Madrid, Manchester, London, Edinburgh, Belgrade, Cologne, Oslo, Jakarta, Melbourne, Canberra - and of course in Poland. Faxes and emails were also sent from the USA, Austria and Lithuania. (A few photos are here. More are on our social media.)

We thank everybody for the support. We'd like to point out that, due to the large protests last year, some working conditions were improved and everybody got a raise. The Post Office however has been doing everything it can be make sure that the unions are not recognized and people who they perceive as the main organizers are gone, harrassed or neutralized.

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On March 8, taxi drivers protested at the Ministry of Infrastucture against the lax regulations regarding Uber, in comparison with licensed cabs. A comrade from ZSP spoke with the drivers, who understood that Uber drivers also face bad working conditions and spoke of how drivers in Uber organized and how mass protests have worked to drive that company out of some countries or to push the government to introduce regulations. She also pointed out that the Ministry was currently very problematic, how postal workers were being repressed and how the Ministry introduced anti-social amendments to the Act on the Protection of Tenants Rights. Some of the workers will be effected but didn't know about these changes.

The drivers are asking the government to impose restrictions on Uber.

They also pointed out that many immigrants are being cheated by Uber. Unfortunately, a few people tried to turn this into anti-immigrant sentiment, but when people quickly reminded people that they are victims, this sentiment disappeared.

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On March 8, the first trial of the Polo 8 took place in Inowroclaw. They are facing bullshit criminal charges as reprisals for organizing and protesting incorrect working conditions in the supermarket chain.

One of the first things the supermarket lawyer did was enter in as „evidence” information that further protests were planned at Polo Market. The protests were legalized, but the lawyer apparently sees protests as some crime and incitement to workers to „commit criminal acts”.

Decades after workers fought against the repressive system that denied them such basic rights, such as the right to protest, the totalitarian face of the rich and ruling classes has shown itself and its intention to smash and repress workers movements that go against it.

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On February 18, 2017, the first in what would be many protests was held in front of Polomarket in Bydgoszcz. Over the course of the year, the supermarket chain has come under pressure to clean up its act. The firm's response has been repeated attempts to criminalize the protesters.

Unpaid overtime. Falsified signatures on time sheets. Denying workers breaks. Health and safety violations. Workers from different Polomarket supermarkets around Poland have all come with similar claims. When workers and former workers in Bydgoszcz started the campaign one year ago today, the chain immediately claimed it wanted to resolve the problems. Instead, it initiated a criminal case against one of the workers and has been trying to dissuade other protesters with numerous attempts to get people charged with nonsense charges such as blocking the traffic in their parking lot. The repression isn't working and more and more workers are coming out to expose the problems in the market.

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ZSP-lWA calls for a week of protest action against the repression of workers from the Post Office in Poland

February 26 - March 4, 2018

For almost two years, postal workers around Poland have been protesting for better working conditions. ZSP has been active in attempts to coordinate national networks, actions and to unionize workers, together with hundreds of other workers spread around the country. All of the workers shared two things in common: they are fed up with the very poor working conditions and were not satisfied with the role of the representative unions which signed various agreements on their behalf with the employer.

Major actions of the ZSP have included exposing the problems in the Post Office and providing a forum for thousands of workers to network, making contacts all over the country and organizing national meetings, promoting alternative unionism and organizing and taking part in organizing national protests, together with thousands of workers.

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Another victim of union-busting repression is Zbyszek from ZSP Wroclaw who has been organizing and unionizing at the post office and has been fired after almost 30 years of work! We are collecting money for his defence!

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On January 21, a picket was held in front of PoloMarket in Wroclaw. This is the latest in the campaign in defense of workers from the supermarket chain which has lasted for almost one year. 5 workers have already received compensation for unpaid overtime and one for unfair dismissal, but the company still is trying to repress protesters, including with criminal cases. Another 12 workers have cases in court. ZSP has organized a few dozen protests across the county over the past year.

Among the demands of the workers is payment of overtime, no more threats of firing workers and an end of the repressive measures of the firm towards members of the union. One criminal case against a now former employee for supposedly damaging the reputation of the company has been going on for months and the company keeps pressuring the police to bring charges against other members of the union, who are subjected to numerous interrogations.

While Polo has been engaged in repression against union activists and other workers, the pressure has also been on them to clean up their act. There are reports that the situation is improving regarding the evidence of working hours, that workers who were once denied breaks and getting them and that the company stopped forcing workers to buy products past the expiry date so as to avoid losses.

On the other hand, more and more workers have come forward to reveal various incidents of abuse at the market.

ZSP is interested in achieving better working conditions in supermarkets and small groceries around the country and encouraging workers to organize.

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The management of the Polish Post Office is again trying to intimidate workers who have spoken out against the poor working conditions that they suffer.

Postal Workers from around Poland are planning pickets next week, to recall their postulates, which include a decent raise and improved working conditions. Again the Post Office management has responded by threatening to fire workers who talk about their working conditions publically, on the internet.

On December 1, the Post Office published a text which states:

„In relation to the increased activity of some anti-Post Office people on the internet recently, we remind you that all of our internet activity is monitored. The internet is not a space where we can feel beyond the law and hide behind the mask of an anonymous user.

People who disclose information about their professional activity or work relations, or who describe projects they are taking part in or who comment on decisions taken by their supervisors, rarely are conscious of their very negative activity. Every post against the employer and its good name is in essence a violation of the work agreement.

Losing trust in a worker is a reason to immediately dismiss a worker with justified cause, … The Supreme Court has also confirmed many times that such situations can be grounds for dismissal. In addition, if the employer loses an important contract or client because of what workers are writing on the internet, the worker will also be responsible for compensation.”

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For several months, ZSP has been conducting a campaign for the improvement of working conditions at PoloMarket. Dozens of protests have taken place throughout Poland, highlighting the various problems workers faced there: unpaid overtime, usually related to non-documentation or falsification of working hours; forced overtime work for people with disabilities; problems for workers who want to take holidays; lack of breaks in some shops; harrassment and various health and safety problems. There was also an unfair dismissal. (The worker involved received compensation after an action at Polo's corporate headquarters.) So far several workers have received compensation from the market, but many others are still struggling to get what they are owed. ZSP would like to see a change to the illegal and exploitative practices at the market.

During recent protests in Aleksandrow Lodzki, a town where the Labour Inspectorate confirmed various problems, workers from Belchatow came and told us about the issues in their city, saying they would also like to take action. The problems were similar to those in other cities. There was also the issue of falsified health and safety training where workers were expected to sign that they had training which never actually took place.

On November 25, protests took place in front of the two Polomarkets in Belchatow. Workers told about their experiences in the shop and about the problems confirmed by various inspections. Many people expressed their support of the protest. The union is encouraging workers from Polo to organize themselves and not to be cheated. It plans to hold more protests, especially before the holidays, when a lot of people go shopping.

Several workers have already received compensation from the supermarket chain and some court cases are in process, including a case Polo brought against a former worker in a failed attempt to intimidate people. Despite pressure put on supervisors and low-level management to testify in court against workers, there is a lot of evidence on the workers' side, and in a few incidents, the supervisors were cornered and had to tell the truth. We have heard that a couple of these people have now lost their jobs themselves.

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A little satisfaction for some (now former) PoloMarket employees. Workers from ZSP have been protesting against practices at the market and demanded compensation for unpaid overtime, among other things. As the company did not want to settle with the workers outside of court, the union brought multiple suits against the supermarket chain. The chain, in the meanwhile, has responded with various attempts to bring criminal cases against members of the union.

On September 28, the case of two former workers was in court in Bydgoszcz. The company that did not want to settle claims with the workers changed their tune after evidence was submitted to the court from the Prosecutor that confirmed that there were forged signatures under the evidence of working hours.

The workers were satisfied and now the union waits for next week, when more workers will have their cases heard.

Despite this, the chain still maintains that everything was "normal" at the markets and refuse to settle claims of some other workers. Therefore, the union will not rest and more actions are planned.

Congratulations to those who didn't give up, despite the adversity from their former employer/exploiter.

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