Piotr Krzzaniak’s case came to an end. Piotr Krzy¿aniak, who is an activist of the Workers’ Initiative from Zielona Góra, was illegally fired from Auchan. On today’s case in the court (25th June), a shopping centre in Zielona Góra put forward a proposal Auchan to reach an agreement, accepting two fundamental demands, a disciplinary dismissal was withdrawn and they withdrew claiming 4000 zlotys, which the employer said was stolen by Krzyzaniak. The day earlier, French CNT trade union organised actions against the concern in Nimes and Toulouse . French comrades announced to organise next protests in September.
On 31st December 2007 Piotr Krzy¿aniak was accused of appropriation of 4000 zlotys (around 1100 euro) and was dismissed in disciplinary mode by Auchan in Zielona Góra. It was a reaction of the employer on the Workers’ Initiative protest two weeks earlier. In front of the supermarket WI activists distributed leaflets informing customers about breaking workers’ rights in the store. Also press was informed about the irregularities. After the dismissal also criminal proceedings were started against Krzy¿aniak, among others they searched his flat. After all the prosecutor’s office didn’t discern the crime and dismissed it.
After the WI call in January and February 2008 a sequence of protest campaigns were organised in front of the Auchan shops in different Polish cities (Wroc³aw, Poznañ, Czêstochowa, Bielsko-Bia³a, Gdynia, Warsaw, Zielona Góra). The case of Auchan also interested the media and it was a top story in regional newspapers. A wider group of workers of the aggrieved parties started by Auchan in Zielona Góra, directed a letter to companiy’s authorities with a demand to dismiss the people responsible for the mistreatments from managerial functions.
During the process witnesses confirmed the accusations formulated by the trade union about Auchan in Zielona Góra. Similarly work standards and safety inspectorate which on demand of the Workers’ Initiative made the control in the area Auchan in Zielona Góra, stated a lot of erroneousness. In the document from 13th June they wrote: "we confirm the complaint of the trade union considering the accusations of not paying salary on time for the work considering different workers. What is more, breaking the workers’ law and safety regulations was confirmed, considering the time of work, paying salaries and training safety and hygene at work".