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The ETF and ITF urge Norbert Dentressangle to stop dismissal of polish drivers
31 January 2012
Negotiation on wages and working conditions must re-start without delay
Since June 2011, Polish trade union Solidarnosc has negotiated to improve the low wages and working conditions of drivers from the Norbert Dentressangle Polish base Zielona Gora. Due to the constant refuse by the company to reach an agreement, 350 drivers went on strike in January 2012. Subsequently, 30 drivers were dismissed. The ETF calls for the company to stop right away the dismissals of Polish drivers, to re-instate those drivers that were dismissed and to re-start the negotiation process with Solidarnosc with the view to reach an agreement. On 6 February 2012 ETF affiliates will meet to assess any progress made by the company in solving this dispute and discuss further action.
On 25 - 26 January 2012 the ETF Road Transport Section met in Brussels for its first biannual meeting. Trade union officials representing 25 road transport trade unions from 16 European countries discussed with Solidarnosc union representatives the situation of the Polish drivers employed by Norbert Dentressangle at its Zielona Gora base, in Poland. Polish drivers organised an 18-day strike, from 2 to 20 January, in protest to the company’s constant refuse to improve wages and working conditions. Since June 2011, the drivers’ union Solidarnosc has tried via social dialogue and negotiations to address the substandard conditions faced by their company union members. The strike is currently put on halt, as according to national legal provisions social partners have to be part of a mediation process.
However, since the strike ceased, approximately 30 drivers have been dismissed.
Both the International Transport Workers’ Federation and the European Transport Workers’ Federation are ready to take action in support of Solidarnosc and their members from the Zielona Gora base of Norbert Dentressangle. To this end, the ETF Road Transport Section unanimously decided to hold a meeting in Brussels, on 6 February to examine the eventual progress made by the company to meet the trade union demands. Planning of future action will be part of the agenda. Depending of the gravity of the situation, the ETF and ITF and their affiliates may decide to develop an awareness campaign targeting the Norbert Dentressangle clients.
ETF Road Transport Section President Roberto Parrillo commented: “It is now the right time to act against the social dumping practices resorted to by Norbert Dentressangle. Our Polish colleagues have been working for years on low pay and horrendous conditions. This has to end now. Road transport trade unions have just committed to back up Solidarnosc and their members to end up discrimination on pure base of nationality.”
For further information, please contact the ETF Political Secretary for Road Transport Cristina Tilling (Tel: +32 (0)478 55 81 35; c.tilling@etf-europe.org)
Related documents:
The ETF and ITF URGE Norbert Dentressangle to stop dismissals of polish drivers (112kb PDF)
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