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Workers Initiative
The Workers' Initiative (Inicjatywa Pracownicza or IP) is a Polish anarcho-syndycalist trade union. IP was established in the second half of 2001 as an informal anarchists group whose objective was the common struggle for workers' rights. As a formal nationwide anarcho-syndycalist trade union IP began to act in September of 2004.
History[edit]
- 2002
At the beginning of 2002 IP involves into the protests against liberalization and flexibility of the Labour Code. The same year, activists from Poznan take part actively in the protests of workers from H.Cegielski-Poznan (HCP) plant demanding ceasing of mass dismissals. In 28 June 2002 trade unions from HCP (Solidarity and Solidarność'80) and IP organize together a demonstration across streets of Poznan, which is attended by nearly 1000 people, including a hundred activists of IP. When, on the wave of workers' protests, in July of 2002, an All-Polish Protest Committee is established (OKP). IP activists take an active part in its work, among others by founding a national coordinating office of OKP protest campaigns and establishing a website. In the summer 2002 OKP is organising several important protests in a dozen Polish cities, including demonstration attended by two thousand particpans in Warsaw. Finally, in autumn 2002, the Workers' Initiative actively supports workers protesting in a Factory of Cables in Ozarow near Warsaw (27-30 November 2002).
- 2003
In June of 2003 IP activists are getting in touch with representatives of the striking workers of Uniontex company in Lodz, who are defending their work place against shutdown. Unfortunately the strike is not succesful and the factory goes bankrupt . However new Uniontex is coming into existence on the factory ruins (in 2004), this time as the workers' company. An IP organization is set up in Uniontex. In December of 2004 the IP chairman in the factory is illegaly fired and previous managers of Uniontex take over the control. In the November of 2003 the Workers' Initiative organises protests against anti-workers politics of McDonalds. In November, for the IP call, worker activists are arriving in Poznań from a dozen or so work places and the first All-Polish Workers' Conference takes place (at first called 'the conference of the workers' protest'), which will become a begining of the wider cooperation of all sorts of pro-worker organizations and trade unions. Altogether, till 2007 six Conferences take place on different topics.
- 2004
In April of 2004 activists of the Workers' Initiative participate in a demonstration in Warsaw against the European Economic Forum that gathers 5 thousand people. In the June of 2004, during the demonstartion of more than 100 trade union activists from Goplana plant (Solidarity trade union) and the Workers' Initiative, IP calls for a boycott of the Nescafe coffee as a form of protest against mass dismissals and closing plants by the Nestle corporation. Solidarity actions - coordinated by IP - takes place in Bydgoszcz, Cracow, Warsaw and Szczecin. In Szczecin in one of supermarkets IP activists put stickers on Nestle products saying "Do not buy it!". In summer, a group of workers of H.Cegielski in Poznan has decided to set up the All-Polish Trade Union Workers' Initiative, which is registered at the end of August 2004. The first local comitees of IP are formed in Szczecin, Lodz and Silesia.
- 2005
In January of 2005, the Workers' Initiative from Poznan get engaged in the defence of workers Brgidgestone/Firestone. In summer of 2005 (July / August), the IP is one of initiators of the international solidarity actions with Polish workers fired by TESCO Ireland who struggled for workers' rights. Protests takes place in 8 cities of Great Britain (supported by TGWU) and in Ireland and several cities of Poland (among others Poznan, Szczecin, Warsaw, Gdynia).
IP becomes also one of the iniciators of Campaign for Seasonal and Emigrant Workers (www.sezonowi.org). On 23 September 2005, the Workers' Initiative and the Polish Green Network filed a complaint against the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, in connection with granting the Kaufland Poland company a loan in the amount of nearly 160 million euros for the development of supermarket chains across Poland. A few days later in one of the Kaufland supermarkets in Poznan a protest takes place. Kaufland notoriously and systemically breakes workers' rights.
- 2006
In January of 2006 the Workers' Initiative joined the Committee for the Aid and Defence of Victimised Workers (KpiORP). The committee acts in the defence of union activists laid off for union activity: Krzysztof Labadz (KWK Budryk, August'80), Darek Skrzypczak (Goplana, Solidarity), Sławek Kaczmarek (Uniontex Lodz, Workers' Initiative), Jacek Rosołowski (Impel-Tom Kostrzyn, the Workers' Initiative). Numerous protest campaigns are being organised and at the beginning of the April 2006 demonstration with 1000 particpants takes place in Poznan. As a result of that pressure Labadz and Skrzypczak are restored to work. Jacek Rosołowski also wins a trial for compensation in the Labour Court (March 2007). In June and August 2006, the Committee organizes a campaign in defense of the seasonal workers' rights in 100 Polish cities, and few weeks later in 50 cities of Poland. In October, KPiORP organizes a demonstration in Lodz defending Sławek Kaczmarek from IP, as well as generally for temporary agency workers. In April 2007 the Committee organizes next demonstration in Wroclaw against the IMPEL company, and among others against laying off Jacek Rosołowski and other IP activists by IMPEL TOM. In the November of 2006, Gdańsk postmen connected with IP begin a wildcat strike, which is spreading through entire Poland. At that time, the Workers' Initiative is organising solidarity actions with striking postmen and coordinates contacts between various cities. A IP local committee is created in the Polish Post. In December 2006, from the IP inspiration a meeting of postmen from several centres took place in Poznan.
In June of 2006, H.Cegielski-Poznań workers belonging to IP organise a strike referendum on payrise. Out of the workforce of nearly 1600 people, 640 workers are in favour of the strike, however due to too low attendances (42%) the outcome of the referendum is not valid. In 2007 IP decides to change tactics. Numerous unofficial standstills are being organised at work lasting from several minutes to a few hours. In April, the IP calls for one-day strike - 90 percent of the HCP crew ask for the so-called "leave on request". There are also several demonstrations in front of the HCP managament seat. As a result, HCP workers gain payrises.
- 2007
In the February/March of 2007, the Workers' Initiative gets engage in defence of workers from the Greenkett Poland panel factory. The Spanish employer illegally fires two IP activists and unsuccessful tries to break the IP local commitee in the factory. In Kostrzyn in autumn the same year, IP is organising actions in support of nearly 90 hospital workers (mainly nurses) being laid off as a result of the privatization.
IP today[edit]
At present the Workers' Initiative acts in the following cities: Poznan, Lodz, Szczecin, Gorzow, Kostrzyn, Zielona Gora, the Upper Silesia (Tarnowskie Gory, Miasteczko Slaskie, Bielsko-Biala, Raciborz, Rybnik), Warsaw, Gdansk, Cracow, Bydgoszcz. At four first cities IP offices are functioning. Smaller groups and IP sympathizers are active also in other cities. The union bimonthly publishes the "Workers' Initiative" newsletter and irregularly "Silesian Syndicalist" newspaper. We cooperate with radical trade unions from several countries of Europe, among others: IWU from Ireland, CGT from Spain, FAU from Germany, SAC from Sweden, CNT from France, ESE from Greece, IWW from Great Britain. As part of international campaigns IP among others has joined a boycott of the Coca-Cola corporation, which is responsible for murders of trade unionists in Colombia.
