6 Jan. - In view of the lack of government's appropriate reaction to the crisis and in reference to the guidelines of the European Commission, National Commission of NSZZ "Solidarność" is of the opinion that the basis for government's activity should be: - protection of jobs
- support for the poorest and most vulnerable
- maintaining purchasing power hence internal demand
- practically implemented rules of solidarity and social justice enabling rebuilding trust based on dialog between partners.
These should be the most important political goals of the government. In order to achieve them joint action should be taken to maintain the level of employment and to stimulate demand. That is why the National Commission of NSZZ "Solidarność" decided to launch a campaign "Solidarity against the crisis" the aim of which is the best possible protection of workers against the negative results of an economic slowdown, reducing the risk of unemployment and consequently of remuneration loss; moreover, encouraging workers to join the union and create new organizations so as to ensure for oneself a better sense of security and a possibility to influence the situation at the workplace. The National Commission obliges the Presidium of the National Commission to prepare a detailed plan of activities, and all the structures of the Union to active participation in it through union action, regular monitoring of crisis effects at the level of company, branch and region and through information and educational actions reaching all members of "Solidarność". The National Commission insists that the government and employers should urgently take up dialogue with social partners in the following areas: - Maintaining the level of employment through assistance for the companies and the workers. All activity in this respect should be negotiated in the dialogue with the representatives of employees and supported with public aid.
- Maintaining internal demand through wages protection, consistent increase of minimum wage, reducing income stratification and, most importantly, through increase of expenditure on public investment.
- Making better use of and increasing effectiveness of European funds for anticrisis actions on the labour market.
- Preparing the system for assisting the poorest and most vulnerable to crisis effects.
- Restoring trust and solidarity through the dialogue starting from the company level, the right to information and consultation allowing to avoid allegations of using the crisis for anti-worker actions and maximization of profit.
Despite social tension and possible social conflicts the National Commission declares its will of cooperation and dialogue. We also call on the government and employers to participate in this dialogue. At the same time we warn against a doctrinaire liberalization of the labour market, unjustified facilitation of lay offs, including workers in pre-retirement age or against limitations on workers' rights. We shall strongly oppose such actions because they interfere with the sense of security and they might practically deepen the crisis and multiply its negative impact. Annex to National Commission resolution 3/09 Solidarity against the crisis The National Commission of NSZZ "Solidarność", in accordance with the guidelines for struggle against the crisis adopted among others by European Commission is of the opinion that one of the fundamental assumptions of the anticrisis pact should be increasing purchasing power influencing the growth of internal demand and the rules of solidarity and social justice, enabling the protection of jobs and assistance to the poorest and most vulnerable. Crisis on the labour market, limitations imposed on wages increase, depreciation of pension funds will have a negative influence on households' demand. This tendency will be accompanied by fall in the external demand and sudden halt in the private sector investments. Growth will be possible to be maintained only through internal demand and households' consumption as well as demand of the public sector. One of the most important challenges for the government's policy will be maintaining trust. Foundations of trust are among others: the ability to foresee the situation in the future, feeling of stability, sense of security and transparency rule. They set the framework within which government policy should operate. Therefore, the National Commission of NSZZ "Solidarnosc" calls for preparation of a detailed plan concerning the following issues: 1. Maintaining the level of employment through assistance for the companies and the workers. All activity in this respect should be negotiated in the dialogue with the representatives of employees and supported with public aid. - The period of inactivity (due to e.g. limits on production) must be utilized for training and raising workers' qualifications. These actions must be accompanied by the maximum usage of EU funds.
- Additional sources for financing remunerations during demurrage must be used.
- All aid granted to companies must be for specific purposes and conditioned by social and legal requirements, especially in the sphere of employment. Information about it must be communicated to elected workers' representatives, submitted for approval and transparent to the civil society.
- Stipulations in the agreements on aid for companies must include regulations limiting payment of dividends and variable elements of managers' remuneration systems (bonuses and fringe benefits). Many companies, very often big multinationals, turn to the government for help. Some of them do not hesitate to ask for it at the same time transferring dividends from profits made to mother-companies abroad. Support granted to such companies runs a risk that money of Polish taxpayers will be irretrievably lost. Instead of direct financial aid to companies investments in human capital should be chosen, because when the crisis finishes people will be the main resource of the country.
- Leading social dialogue on different levels.
2. Maintaining internal demand through preserving the level of wages, consistent increase of minimum wage, reducing income stratification and, most importantly, through increase of expenditure on budgetary investment. - Economic revival- consumption increase - financial aid for companies - increase of purchasing power, especially of people with lowest income.
- In sectors, companies, public service wage bargaining must ensure at least maintaining purchasing power and decreasing wage disparity.
- Covering the costs of commuting with public transportation and subsidizing the costs of commuting with a personal means of transportation by
a) employers with usage of external financial sources
b) increasing legal reductions in taxes (increasing tax deductible expenses connected with commuting to work to costs really incurred). - Tax exemptions for the costs of workers luncheon vouchers, for costs of care provided for family members (kindergartens, creches, nursing care, education). Social partners and the government should prepare a tax exemption system in other areas.
- Improvement in quality of public services operation and customer service, allowing for an increase of necessary budgetary means.
Influence on consumption increase may also be achieved through: - Temporary lowering of basic VAT rate for selected articles, including food
- Lowering of credit prices - lowering of basic rates and bank policy consisting in lowering the credit price (interest rate) at the same time with the necessity for preparation of methods of monitoring the real use of released financial means (inspection whether increased money flow was really allocated to unfreeze crediting for companies)
- Intensification of public investment (especially in roads, construction and fuel and energy sectors) with maximum use of EU funds.
- Falling demand in private sector should be offset by higher demand in public sector.
3. Making better use of and increasing effectiveness of European funds for anticrisis actions on the labour market. - Preparing payments for companies and employment services in order to finance above mentioned activities limiting company expenses and maintaining internal demand.
- Streamlining of procedures for these financial grants - changes in regulations allowing for shortening the period from application to receiving payment in order to react swiftly as crisis situations appear in companies and simplification of final accounting procedures.
- Preferential treatment of projects, especially individual projects covering comprehensive activities, new solutions for the labour market - aid for companies, workers and employers - as well as those ensuring implementation of solutions developed in other projects, especially ESF and Equal.
- Increasing financial means for actions serving improvements in effectiveness of social consultations concerning the quality of enforced legal solutions and implemented regulations and means for cooperation of government institutions and local authorities with social partners.
- Accelerated use of structural funds through partial allocation of expenditure from years 2011-2013 for the years 2009-2010; enlarging means currently available from structural funds by those which were not used in previous years.
- Accelerated use of European structural funds requires rapid preparation of new infrastructure development plans.
- Offering credits earmarked for local governments and allocated for co-financing projects implemented with structural funds.
4. Working out a system for the poorest and most vulnerable to crisis - Increasing the amount spent on social benefits (unemployment benefits and social security benefits) because of the higher number of people dismissed from work.
- Rapid commencement of work on the insurance against unemployment.
- Lowering of tax rates for low earners through raising the level of tax-free income or through lowering general tax rates for the low-earning families.
- Tax abolition of aid offered by trade unions (widening the catalogue of such aid).
- Support for the poorest families especially by increasing family allowances.
- Retirement pension funds were severely affected by the effects of crisis. Poland is not an exception in this respect. Losses accumulated by a system unable to safeguard the income of future pensioners should stir up a discussion on the reform of pension funds which would allow the workers to look to the future with no anxiety.
- Increase of minimum pensions and retirement-pensions.
- Considering the possibility to buy-back flats - not completed investments of investors who filed for bankruptcy or are threatened with bankruptcy, and concerting them into communal housing.
5. Restoring confidence and solidarity through dialogue starting from the company level, right to information and consultation permitting to dispel suspicion of using the crisis for anti-worker actions and maximization of profit. - Strengthening of the role of collective labour agreements.
- Ratification of ILO Convention 158 concerning in particular the right of worker to a benefit on account of break in employment or similar allowances or allowances resulting from insurance against unemployment (Art. 12).
- In current work on amendments to the Act on workers' right to information and consultation allowances should be made for social partners' right to receive precise and exhaustive information.
Current economic situation requires that labour market policy be based on trust and cooperation of social partners. The key to economic success should be mutual trust of particular economic, political and social life actors. | 
