EC Meeting Papers July 2018

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International Study Visit June 2 nd -6 th 2018. Poland. FIRST DRAFT

Introduction.

The delegation was made up of: Doug Nicholls GFTU, John Smith MU, Oshor Williams PFA, Yvonne Pattison NAPO, Ian Lawrence NAPO, Sarah Woolley BFAWU, Ronnie Draper BFAWU, Tom Blenkinsop Community, Mick Carney TSSA, Robert Mooney Community, John McGowan SWU, Glyn Travis POA, Mark Fairhurst POA. The visit had been organised by Alexandra Gabriel of FORMAC a union support organisation that works closely with the OPZZ and with whom the GFTU has worked on various EU projects for many years. Alexandra and FORMAC colleagues had attended and contributed to the 2016 Union Building Conference. The delegation was guest of the OPZZ the largest Polish trade union federation and we were headquartered at the OPZZ offices in Warsaw for the duration. Two interpreters were provided by FORMAC for the week. Two educational visits were made during the week, one to the ‘Versailles of Poland’ the former King’s palace, and one to the Museum of the Warsaw Uprising. Unfortunately a planned workplace visit was cancelled by the factory concerned. There was disappointment that the transport union and specialist social workers’ union were unable to meet the delegation at the last minute. Contacts with these two unions will be pursued. By way of preparation, the trade union analysis of Poland in the International Campaign for Trade Union Rights Directory (2017) and the Country Profile on Poland by the European Trade Union Information Centre (2012) were circulated. During the week three short delegation meetings were held, an initial one to organise activities and hear a political background to Poland by Maciej Pacula, a brief discussion after the first three meetings, and a final discussion to assess the week and the picture for trade unionists in Poland. It was possible during the week for bilateral arrangements to be made, but it transpired that this was possible only for the Musicians Union who held a number of meetings with their sister union, including a meeting with the orchestra in Poland that had been in dispute with their employers for two years and been involved in strike actions and delaying performances and addressing their audiences. This report has been drafted by Doug Nicholls and considered by the delegation. It seeks to account for those points put to us in presentations and question and answer sessions by those we met. The report will be circulated to the Educational Trust, GFTU EC, reproduced on the GFTU website and included in the 2019 BGCM report.