Poland: Unions seek higher pay and continued early retirement

On 29 August 2008, the Independent Self-governing Trade Union Solidarity (NSZZ Solidarnosc) organised a major protest rally in Warsaw as part of a campaign for "decent work, decent retirement".

The campaign conducted by NSZZ Solidarnosc - one of Poland's two largest union confederations - calls on the government to:

• increase the national minimum wage to 50% of the average wage;
• guarantee a systematic increase in pay for all workers to compensate for the increasing cost of living (inflation was running at 4.5% in July 2008);
• maintain the current right to early retirement enjoyed by workers in a number of sectors and occupations;
• ensure the observance of labour law and of trade unions' right to organise; and
• ensure a real social dialogue.