Organising workers and Social Dialogue in commerce sector

Organising workers and Social Dialogue in commerce sector in Poland Department of Development Union National Commission of The Independent and Self-Governing Trade Union „Solidarność” Sofia November 2011

Union density NSZZ „S” 1991 - 2011 year 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 VI. 2011 # members # organizations 2 286 720 1 634 309 1 422 764 1 312 050 1 233 209 1 184 959 1 113 440 1 075 045 973 572 910 398 800 906 759 336 730 979 721 856 690 042 685 329 679 975 667 572 641 507 623 478 16 709 15 367 12 437 13 691 13 271 12 822 12 668 12 079 11 570 10 522 9 950 9 392 9 114 8 706 8 637 8 646 8 445 8 152 8 081

Approximate employment in the biggest chain of stores

Commerce sector in Poland nowadays Company „S” Other union Agreement # shops # workers # members Tesco v v v 360 30000 2400 Carrefour v - v 300 18000 900 Biedronka v v 1800 34000 900 Real v v 54 13500 2300 Auchan v - 26 10000 120 Makro v - v 31 7000 350 Kaufland v - v 145 12000 1200 Lidl - - 350 6000 - Praktiker V 24 2100 250 Decathlon V - 20 1400 70 JYSK V V 140 1700 50 E. Leclerc - - 20 3000 - Intermarche - - 168 lack of info - Ikea - - 8 4300 - Union density apx. 6 %

Solidarność organising strategy • New strategy in Development Department of N. C. since January 2011 - close cooperation DD NC „S” with Regional Boards (34 Regions) and Branch Secretariats/ Branch Sections - regions coordinators (7 persons) from DD NC „S” widely cooperate with regional organising teams (40 regional organizers) - thanks working together over 1 000 new members have joined to „S” in commerce sector (at Carrefour, Auchan, Kaufland, Biedronka, Decathlon, Makro, JYSK) • Past and ongoing project funding by EU „Strengthening social dialogue in security sector and hiper- and supermarkets” – realized by Development Department of National Commission NSZZ „Solidarność” - Kaufland (Schwarz Gruppe), Biedronka (Jeronimo Martins Distribution)

Solidarność implementing Resolution 2 Organising in Commerce Political decision level on organizinig – priority in daily life of trade union Levels on organizinig Ø Organization in company ü it depends on power organization (membership). Strong union (mining, metallurgy) focus on negotiations. Weak organization (commerce, security sector) focus on organizing Ø Regions level ü Decisions are very diversyfied. Every each of 34 Regions has development coordinator, but some Regions hasn’t union organizers yet (in total 40 orgs. ). Sometimes regional organizers organise workers in commerce sector, but very often in other sectors Ø National Commission level ü National Commission – Executive Board (Presidium) defines union development as priority and set up new strategy of organising. Department of Development Union has opereted since 1998 (staff of 16), but we need to fashion new model and proffesionalization ü Organising campaigns in commerce sector are conducted and initiated by DD very often

Building new organizations and organizing new members in existing organizations Ø New organizations – organizing campaigns Establishing contacts with employees (phone numbers, adress, e-mails) 1 on 1 mtgs. & group mtgs. Collecting problems Identyfing laeders Meetings and training leaders Leaders and organizing team organise workers around the problems (sign up union cards) – build-up the union ü Registration union and negotiations ü Agreement ü Promotion union parallel organizing camapign (discount cards „Grosik”) and publicize campaign in media ü ü ü Ø Existing organizations ü Mostly by the training for leaders (training – how to organize workers) ü Next leaders recruit new members in company – monitoring actions by Region and N. C.

Specific ways to attract young workers in trade union? ü Organizing campaigns in sectors, when mostly young people work (commerce, banks, services) ü Cooperation „S” and Independent Students Association – work on agreement going on ü Social campaigns and media – changing image ü Let’s raise the minimum wage for Poles • 350 000 Poles signed the draft Act amending the National MW ü Large public campaign in combat against so-called „junk contracts of employment” • to promote employment for an indefinite period • It will be one of the priorities for Solidarność in the coming months ü Internet portal - „hyper exploitation” • a map of exploitation in the stores is being created • interactive service: „report a problem, suggest the solution, change the fate of workers” ü Tools, which are used by young people (internet tv - youtube, facebook, twitter) ü Demonstration and pickets are colourful and they take on the character of happening. Concerts, less bovvers and fairing tires The result: - increasing public confidence in „Solidarność” - according to the September CBOS research reported confidence in relation to 35 % (July 2010 - 24 %. ), especially among young group

Major obstacles / challenges to organizing Ø Obstacles Ø Challenges ü insufficient awareness of leaders ü Actual union actions around the ü Posibilities budget and staff ü Antyunion Goverment, Employers and media policy priority - development ü Concrete budget and personal decisions ü Professionalization of development actions (analysis, education, organizing, trainings, promotion – everything support by marketing strategy)

Success story Workers organising campaign in Kaufland Polska Action time: February 2010 – nowadays q Why Kaufland? ü Along with 5 other companies it owns majority shares in market of commerce sector, because of that it has impact on working conditions in the whole branch ü Non-union workplace ü Problems of workers q Aim: ü To make an agreement concerning improvement of working conditions and possibility for Trade Union to have easy accsess to the workers

Elements of campaign q 1 st Phase: Choosing places for organising action time till 21 st February 2010 Ø Kaufland Stores in: in Chorzów (2), Ruda Śląska (1), Wrocław (2) q 2 nd Phase: Forming large-scale base action time from 22 nd February 2010 to 7 st May 2010 Ø Ø Ø Ø Conducts one-on-one organizing (collecting phone numbers, e-mails, address) 1 on 1 mtgs Identyfying problems Identyfying leaders Leaders mtgs Signing people up [union cards] Trade union organisation on enterprise level was registered q 3 rd Phase: An escalation, social campaign action time 8. V. – 6. VI. 2010 Ø A petition concerning workplace issues and the free right to join union is delivered to the management Ø A petition is given by Regional Offices of Solidarność to store directors Ø Handing out leaflets to customers in front of the stores

Elements of campaign q 4 th Phase: Crisis creating action time 7. VI. – 25. VI. 2010 Ø Pickets in front of the stores in Wrocław, Ruda Śląska q 5 th Phase: Reaching the agreement Ø Negotation agreement - meeting protocol q July 2010: Kaufland company backed out of part of agreement concerning free union access to employees q Creating a new plan concernig Kaufland logistic center in Piotrków Trybunalski as a "place responsive" to workers protests because of chain delivery system

Elements of campaign q 6 th Phase: Forming large-scale base action time 6. IX – 10. X. 2010 Ø Conducts one-on-one organizing, Workplace issues, Recruiting leaders, Signing people up [union declaration] q 7 th Phase: Escalation action time 11. X – 14. XI. 2010 Ø A petition concerning workplace issues and the free right to join union is delivered to the management Ø A petition is given by Regional Offices of Solidarność to store directors & logistic centre director Ø Handing out leaflets to customers in front of the stores

Elements of campaign q 8 th Phase crisis creating action time 15. XI – 26. XII. 2010 Ø Pickets in front of the logistic centre in Piotrków Trybunalski Ø Pickets in front of the stores in Wrocław (2 stores), Piaseczno, Piła Ø Cash-desks blocked in Ruda Śląska store Ø Preparation for Berlin’s picket in cooperation with Ver. di q 9 th Phase Reaching the agreement Ø Negotation agreement - meeting protocol

Web site: hyper exploitation Exploitation map in markets stores web site: Smiling Cashier appeal to customers We share information about working condition on Facebook Like it!

Challenges ü Organizing workers – building power Union ü Ostensible dialogue → constructive conversation with employers ü Begining colective bargaining in some companies ü Employment stability (rotation 25 -100%) ü Access to workers agreements ü Middle-term plan: Project – Biedronka, Carrefour ü Destination target – sectoral colective agreement (key companies)

conclusion ü Around the world - we all have the same employers (multicompanies) in our countries ü If we want to win agreements for workers we need to cooperate to build up the union power contact • www. solidarnosc. org. pl • kacper_stachowski@solidarnosc. org. pl