Polish studies at Columbia University and highway police stops a horse in a car.
Presented by Slawek Szefs
RZECZPOSPOLITA follows government efforts to save jobs. Employers confederations and the economy ministry have proposed amendments to the labor code which would ease the pressure for group layoffs. The price for this would be lower remuneration. The state has pledged to extend financial support to those willing to avail themselves to the project. The deal would be made at company level with employers guaranteeing job stability over an agreed period, with employees ready to accept reduced working hours for lesser salaries. But this does not mean that the Polish labor market shall not witness any cuts. As if anticipating such moves, DZIENNIK appeals to employers to make use of methods reducing the psychological as well as career impact of redundancies through outplacement schemes providing counseling and making adaptation to new conditions easier. If you have to fire people, do it professionally, the newspaper addresses company boards and managers.
The same DZIENNIK conveys news on the possibility of opening a department of Polish studies at the prestigious Columbia University in New York. It took five years to prepare ground for the project. This mainly concerned funding, a no small challenge in the period of crisis which effectively reduced sponsorship. The minimal sum required to even consider the idea has been 3 million dollars. Funds to the tune of 2 million dollars declared by the Polish government could not be transferred as it turned out the state cannot directly subsidize foreign academic centers. Luckily, the state owned Polish Energy Group (PGE) and the Warsaw Stock Exchange had made up for the deficiency. Hopefully all the money will be collected by February and actual preparations may commence. If everything goes right, the department of Polish studies at Columbia University will sign up its first students in the new academic year.
Turning to finance and economy GAZETA WYBORCZA has a 12-point analysis of reasons why Poland cannot afford a budget deficit increase to ease effects of the crisis. The paramount conclusion is that its growth, instead of reducing, would simply strengthen a number of factors responsible for economic slowdown. In particular, it would seriously limit access to credits for both Polish companies as well as individual households.
Looking at the hardships of life in a lighter vain the tabloid SUPER EXPRESS has a traffic related story on a driver whop got fined for… transporting a colt on the rear seat of his little passenger car! And, NO, we are not talking about firearms. When a local highway patrol near Olsztyn, in north-eastern Poland, got a radio report that a horse had been spotted in a vehicle nearby, they thought someone was playing a joke on them. Their surprise was even bigger when they saw the approaching vehicle and stopped it for inspection. The rear seat had indeed been occupied by a young, weighing nevertheless 120 kilograms, colt with a rather puzzled expression. The officers fined the driver for transporting an animal in a vehicle not suitable for carrying animals. Wonder if the colt had his seat belt fastened?