Social Dialogue and organising workers in Commerce Sector

Social Dialogue and organising workers in Commerce Sector in Poland Department of Development Union National Commission of The Independent and Self-Governing Trade Union „Solidarność” Gdańsk June 2011

Union density NSZZ „S” in 1991 - 2010 year 1991 1992 # me mbe rs 2 286 720 1 634 309 16 709 # org aniz atio ns VI 2010 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 1 634 309 1 422 764 1 312 050 1 233 209 1 184 959 1 113 440 1 075 045 973 572 910 398 800 906 759 336 730 979 721 856 690 042 685 329 679 975 667 572 648 868 15 367 12 437 13 691 13 271 12 822 12 668 1207 9 1157 0 1052 2 9 950 9 392 9 114 8 706 8 637 8 646 8 445 8 292 1993

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 400 30000 2700 Carrefour v - v 350 27000 900 Biedronka v v 1700 33000 900 Real v v 60 13500 2300 Auchan v - 20 10000 120 Makro v - 31 9000 350 Kaufland v - 145 12000 1100 Lidl - - 300 6000 - Ikea - - 8 4300 - Decathlon V - 20 1400 70 E. Leclerc - - 20 3000 - 3064 159200 8640 Sum: v Union density ~ 6 %

Political decision level on organizinig – priority in daily life of trade union Ø Organization in company – it depends on power organization (membership). Strong union (mining, metallurgy) focus on negotiations. Weak organization (commerce, security sector) focus on organizing ü Medium priority Ø Regions – decisions are very diversyfied. Every each of 34 Regions has development coordinator, but some Regions hasn’t yet union organizers (in total 40) ü Medium priority Ø National Commission – Executive Board (Presidium) defines union development as priority. Department of Development Union has opereted since 1998 (staff of 16), but we need to fashion new model and proffesionalization ü Medium priority

Implementation organizaing campaigns – target, who and how Practical cases ü Coca-Cola near Warsaw • Team: 2 coordinators from N. C. , 2 organizers from Region Mazowsze, union reps from Coca-Cola, reps Food Workers Secretariat ü Kaufland (all Poland) • Team: organizers from Regions + coordinators from N. C. + union reps from Kaufland ü Regional companies • Organizers from Regions + coordinator from N. C. Ø Companies are sellected according to reaserch the market and development strategy. Multilevel organizing campaigns and this one depend on company size and their attitude to union.

Building new organizations and organizing new members in existing organizations Ø New organizations – organizing campaigns ü ü ü Establishing contacts with employees (phone numbers, adress, e-mails) Meetings with workers 1 on 1 and group Collecting problems Identyfing laeders Meetings and training leaders Leaders and organizing team organize 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 Ø Existing organizations ü Mostly by the training for leaders (training – how to organize workers) ü Next leaders recruit new members in company – monitoring action by Region and N. C. ü …however existing organizations in commerce sector – cooperation trade union structures: national, regional, commerce section and organization from companies

Specific ways to attrac 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 • Tools, which are used by young people (internet tv, facebook, twitter) • Demonstration and pickets are colourful and they take on the character of happening. Concerts, less bovvers and fairing tires ü Youth coordinator – conferences and work meetings

Major obstacles / challenges to organizing Ø Obstacles Ø Challenges ü Union priorities awareness of leaders ü Actual union actions around the priority - development ü Posibilities budget and staff ü Antyunion Goverment, Employers and media policy 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 Markety PLC Action time: February – December 2010 q Why Kaufland? Ø 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 Ø Non-union workplace Ø Problems of workers q Aim: Ø 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

The agreement

web site: Smiling Cashier 27. 05. 2010

The solution: smiling cashier appeals to customers Run of the campaign

Issued appeal 5 problems: 1. low wages 2. Lack of interest in sincere dialogue 3. Bad treating (insults. . ) 4. Bad safety at work (too high workload) 5. Lack of facilitaties concerning combining of private and working life

A signature on web site: one click Click & Help

We share information about working condition on Facebook Like it!

We encourage market/supermarket workers to join Join us

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

conclusion In Europe we all have the same employers (multicompanies) in our countries 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