They threatened a collective dispute, then backed down

An unusual situation occurred at Miejski Zakład Komunikacji in Bolesławiec. The whole matter began on October 6 this year, when Andrzej Jagiera, president of MZK, received a letter from members of NSZZ “Solidarity,” who presented their demands in four points (the most important concerned PLN 500 pay rises).

“The ‘S’ union members neither came to see me nor spoke to me or asked me anything. The only thing that arrived was a letter announcing the initiation of a collective dispute,” Andrzej Jagiera said in an interview with “ii”.

The municipal company’s management asked “Solidarity” to clarify its demands (some of the points were very general).

Meanwhile, the overwhelming majority of the workforce—48 people, or 80%—sent a letter to the mayor of Bolesławiec distancing themselves from “S.” The document stated, among other things, that NSZZ “Solidarity” had not consulted MZK employees about the content of its demands and that the employees strongly protested against the union’s actions.

The result? “S” withdrew its demands. On October 15, the matter resolved itself. Interestingly, at the beginning of October, the workplace “S” union had 16 members; now it has only 12. Four members left the union.

“The workforce felt manipulated,” A. Jagiera says. “Of course, everyone would like a PLN 500 pay rise, but we have to consider whether it is feasible.

He adds: “We have a collective agreement signed by both trade unions that regulates all pay-related matters. There will always be someone who feels dissatisfied. But pay systems are designed to be reasonably fair.

“My workforce showed great maturity,” the president continues. “We operate within a certain budget. If we generate additional funds, we can afford to make specific pay-related decisions.

It is worth adding that this year, MZK drivers received an average pay rise of approximately PLN 170, while other employees received PLN 113. “I am glad that a reasonable solution to this matter was reached,” Andrzej Jagiera adds. “The operations of Miejski Zakład Komunikacji are compensated with funds from the City Hall, and these are resources that must be spent very prudently.