A colleague wrote to tell us that a work agency which recruits people for the local automobile factory promises work conditions which it doesn’t fulfill.

WorkWonders agency is in charge of finding workers for the FSO Factory who are willing to work for 9 zloty an hour, or 360 euros per month. No experience is necessary they say. The agency encourages people to work extra on Saturdays, although without overtime pay. The claim that workers will be paid for this work from the factory cash register on the day of work but our colleague had to wait about 3 months for payment, which was made in contradiction to the law on overtime.

The agency also claimed that people could choose their shifts, which turned out not to be true. In addition, workers were forced to work mixed shifts. According to the labour code, if someone if not given 11 hours rest between shifts, they can also get overtime work.

Members of ZSP visited the agency’s office in Warsaw and leafletted potential employees. A letter was sent to management, the State Labour Inspectorate and to the professional organization of work agencies.

Work agencies in Poland are required by law to state working hours in contracts. The law on temporary employment and work agencies however was ammended in July and now keeping evidence of working time is the job of the company using the agency. This means that both sides, the agency and the firm where the work in done, are trying to pass the buck on this issue. In the case of our colleague, there was no such possibility has even his contract was signed before July and was not concluded in accordance with the law.

ZSP promised to monitor the situation with WorkWonders and will try to see if anybody else working for them has been deceived.