On 9th of november 2007 in Steszew, near Poznan, Workers’ Initiative organized a picket in front of the company’s building. The reason for the action was an illegal dismission of one of the sindicate’s members Lukasz Sybilak. Among the 30 protesters there were IW’s activists together with the workers fromH. Cegielski Poznan company.

In march 2007, trying to break up the sindicate, which was demanding better working conditions and higher salaries, Greenkett illegally fired two other members of Workers’ Initiative Jolanta Szypura and Aurelia Wlodarczyk. In Labour Court both sides came to an agreement, in which the company agreed to pay the dismissed workers 6000zl (1 euro = 3,6 zl) of indemnification together with the trial costs. As a result of a collective labour dispute the sindicate has achieved i.a. 10 % of salary increase, better working conditions and the pay of social benefits.

Workers’ Initiative will continue the struggle. There has been formulated new demands concerning the working conditions and salaries (i.a. the pay of allowance for prejudicial work).

Greenkett Polska is a part of a multinational corporation Grupo Ig, which mantains its subsidiaries in Slovakia, Brasil and USA. The plant in Steszew, built few years ago, employs about 120 workers.

Jarek Urbanski, Workers Initiative