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On February 22, another picket was held at the Dino Supermarket in Pabianice. We decided to return to this market because when we were there last time, we saw how health and safety regulations were being disregarded.

One of the demands of unionists at Dino was that the workers be trained to use electric fork lifts, which the company has, instead of being forced to manually drag heavy stacks of cartons or bottles. The law clearly states how much women are allowed to drag on a smooth surface and for heavier loads, they need equipment to help. Many workers who are forced to move heavy weights sooner or later have serious back injuries. In one very famous incident in another supermarket, a pregnant woman miscarried from dragging heavy boxes.

During the picket, we explained about workers' rights in the supermarket and discussed with customers and people in the neighbourhood. We also put posters up informing workers about the health and safety regulations which apply. When we put up a poster on their door, one of the managers got crazy and said she would call the police. Later we met the police, but they just took a leaflet and left.

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On the weekend of February 15-16, ZSP held pickets at 4 Dino Supermarkets – in Skarbimierz, Pabianice and Łask. The union protested against various violations of workers rights in the chain and the firing of union activists. Several fired workers participated in the protests.

In Skarbimierz, a couple of people were fired and upon hearing of the campaign, wanted to join in and organize a picket in their town. Activists from ZSP from Silesia went and about 20 people protested in front of the supermarket. Actions were also held in Pabianice and Łask.

Workers at Dino suffer a few main problems: unpaid overtime, health and safety risks and use of short term employment contracts are some of the main complaints. In Pabianice we found a good example of one of the common problems for workers. Two women, one very tiny, had to manually haul a huge pallet of bottles instead of using a fork lift. Complaints about this health and safety risk were supposedly dealt with by Dino; the President claimed that every store would have fork lifts and the employees trained on how to use them. However in many stores the fork lift was delivered but has never been used and the workers have no training. (Operating a fork lift without training is not allowed.) The same was true in Pabianice where the workers are forced to deal with the pallets manually. The situation will be reported immediately.

We also heard that in Łask they had been hiring people for just three months, then hiring new people, to avoid giving normal contracts with benefits.

It occurred to us that probably we should produce a brochure about these matters to hand out to workers in different locations. We have already published information on health and safety regulations regarding the fork lifts and how to evidence and claim overtime pay on our web pages.

During the pickets people were generally supportive and expressed their disapproval of Dino's actions towards the unionists. Some people decided to go shopping elsewhere after discussing the situation with fired workers.

About 1/3 of the members of "Solidarity" in Dino are gone and there are signs that the main activist in the union has signed a loyalty agreement with Dino. We say to workers that a union that does not fight for the reinstatement of their fired members (like that one) is not really a union worth joining. An initiative group exists in ZSP to organize more Dino workers and to fight for the reinstatement of the fired workers, payment of overtime, etc.

Please support our actions by sending a protest mail via the form on this page: dino.zsp.net.pl

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On February 7-8, ZSP held two pickets at Dino Supermarkets to protest against anti-union and anti-worker repression. The actions are a response to firings and other actions against workers who formed a union or responded positively to it, such as by making positive comments on Facebook. Since the actions against Dino started, we were contacted by other workers who have complained of mobbing, firings and disciplinary actions for reasons such as taking a couple of days off to care for a sick child. Although every worker has the right to do so, within certain limits, some companies in Poland respond with dismissals.

The first picket, on February 7, was in Ornontowice, where one firing took place. Leaflets were handed out to customers and information about the picket quickly spread through the town, a place which is no stranger to labor conflicts. (Although it is a very small town, a major strike took place there some years ago, in the Budryk coal mine.) The picket was received positively by local people.

On February 8, another picket was held, this time in Kutno. We noticed that Dino had prepared for this action and instructed people from the supermarket to call the police. However we just explained what the protest was about and were not bothered. Some local residents complained about problems at their workplaces as well.

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At the end of 2013, Dino Supermarkets terminated the employment of the workers who had organized a trade union. In January, 6 more workers lost their jobs, 3 of them for making comments of liking the union Facebook page.

Dino, together with Solidarity union, have come to agreement to discourage any worker protest in the market and have effectively isolated one worker who refused to stay quiet on the requests of the Solidarity leadership. She is fighting for her reinstatement at Dino instead of just looking for another job like the yellow union bureaucrats want.

In response to union organizing efforts, Dino not only terminated the employment of union members but also got people from their head office and management to register another yellow union.

ZSP calls for a boycott of Dino Supermarkets, which offer poor working conditions and violate the basic freedom of association and speech of its employees. It also calls for immediate reinstatement of Magda to her former position. ZSP also criticizes the actions of the regional Solidarity leadership which decided to sell out the workers who wanted to protest and fight to change their working conditions.

Please send a protest letter. You may change the text of add your own comments.

Send a protest!

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As it turns out, people can be fired from work for writing something or even just liking a union page on Facebook. Supermarket Dino already fired three women under different pretexts. All of them were union activists. Two weeks ago ZSP organized the first in a series of actions at Dino supermarkets in Wroclaw in solidarity with the women. We'll help those who want to fight with legal matters, actions, etc.

We've just learned that Dino fired three more people – this time disciplinarily, for writing on Facebook or even just for liking the Facebook of Dino workers.

We cannot tolerate such actions, which violate all principles of freedom, not only the freedom to organize in a union, but also to express ones opinions.

In relation to this, ZSP will organize more pickets and actions against the supermarket Dino, which is attacking the freedom and dignity of the people working there.

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Current and former employees of the Impuls Agency are determined to continue the struggle with the agency which has violated their rights and has not been paying the workers. Organized inside the multi-branch union of the ZSP in Warsaw, plans are being made for new direct actions against the firm, as well as various legal actions.

As we understand, Impuls has had to pay the consequences of their actions and as many as 2/3 of the firms clients have suspended their contracts. This has led us to discuss the situation of the workers affected, who have been harmed by the agency in various ways.

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ZSP has held the first picket in a campaign aimed at union-busting Dino Supermarkets. It is demanding the reinstatement of three workers, an end to the harrassment of unionists and improved working conditions throughout the chain.

Three unionists had their employment terminated at Dino market. The women, together with their co-workers, had formed the union this fall, hoping to get the supermarket to improve working conditions. One, who was on a fixed-term contract, did not have her contract renewed at the end of the year. Another was dismissed while on sick leave while the third was fired under a pretext for smoking (of course not at her work station), a practice which had always been tolerated and is done by other workers with no consequences. In a response to legal claims made by one of the workers, the supermarket refers to a „lack of trust” in the employee because she was „blackening the name of the supermarket” and „formenting unrest amongst the workers”.

What the workers were trying to accomplish were some simple improvements to working conditions. For example, they did not have a forklift and were forced to move heavy packages, exposing them to risk of serious injury. They also complained of overtime and having to work long hours on holidays.

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The CNT-AIT in Madrid has been in conflict with OHL company related to the firings of cleaners in the Madrid metro and in particular to the firing of Angel, one of the militants of the SOV Madrid. ( Video ) In response to this campaign, some Sections of the IWA made solidarity actions in countries where that company has a presence, such as in Slovakia and Poland.

In Slovakia a picket was held at the Bratislava office. A protest was delivered to the office and the comrades demanded the reinstatement of Angel. In Poland there were 2 actions at OHL, in Warsaw and Wroclaw. In Warsaw there is just a tiny office but we visited to protest about the situation, informing people there of our solidarity with the fired workers. Solidarity posters were put on their doors and in the building. In Wroclaw there is a bigger office and people went with a solidarity picket but it is located in a place with no passersby, so it was only for the company to know what we think. OHL has been informed that we may visit again with a larger group of people if the demand to reinstate the comrade is not fulfilled.

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On December 19, a couple of former employees of the Impuls agency went to demand payments they were owed. The company has not been paying workers, who sometimes have to wait even 6 months for their salaries - if they get them at all. ZSP has made numerous actions at the company, which have led to some payments being made. (See here: http://www.zsp.net.pl/action-impuls-payments-made-struggle-not-over)

Again we went supported by a few people from Sierpien 80 union, only this time, we found that the office was locked. Either they knew we were coming or somehow predicted this and decided not to let anybody without an appointment in. Arriving at the locked office, we started to scream to them to let us in, saying that we would not leave and that this would not stop us from coming back.

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On December 12, members of ZSP IT Workers Union visited various branches of Bank Santander. Leaflets were distributed to customers and passersby informing about the situation of outsourced workers and the dismissal of the CNT-AIT union delegate in Spain.

Bank Santander outsources all sorts of work to companies which it actually owns but can avoid direct employment in the bank this way. ISBAN provides its IT services. The workers have various precarious working conditions and poor pay. Santander is outsourcing workers to companies it creates, which then do services again in Santander, as a way to avoid employers responsibilities. This is a situation which is very well known to IT workers in Poland too.

Members of ZSP went to a few branches of the bank in Warsaw. After the banks closed, posters were left on their windows.

A protest letter was sent to the bank demanding the reinstatement of the delegate, respect for the right to organize and improving the situation of the workers, especially in regards to their employment status and stability.

These actions were part of an international day of action called by the comrades of the Telecommunications and IT Union of the CNT-AIT Madrid. We made a few similar actions in the past and we are sure that the bank has noticed our actions, posters, banners and pickets (although modest). We will continue to inform people about the situation.

Leaflet (in Polish): http://www.zsp.net.pl/ulotka-bank-santander

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