Fundamental rights related to social partners

The delegation was informed that there was a longstanding tradition of social dialogue in Poland. The Tripartite Commission for Socio-Economic Affairs (Trójstronna Komisja ds. Społeczno-Gospodarczych) was established in 1994, and extended to include the Provincial Social Dialogue Commissions (Wojewódzkie Rady Dialogu Społecznego) in 2001. Despite initial successes, the three main trade unions left the Tripartite Commission and Provincial Social Dialogue Committees in June 2013.

Following negotiations between representative organisations of trade unions and employers, a new form of social dialogue was proposed to the government. This led to the creation of the Social Dialogue Council (Rada Dialogu Społecznego) in 2015, which must be consulted on legislative initiatives. However, according to the CSOs, this new body was often ignored by the government and important pieces of legislation were often adopted without holding meaningful discussions, either because of shortened deadlines or because legislation proposed by individual Members of Parliament (MPs) was exempt from consultation requirements.

Some CSOs complained about different treatment received by certain trade unions from the authorities. Trade unions in Poland had called for the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, and for social rights to be guaranteed at European level. Trade union representatives were disappointed by limits imposed on the right to assembly, for example through injunctions by the court to prevent strikes.