Polish trade unionists will be staging a mass demonstration under the slogan ‘We won’t pay for your crisis!’ outside the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry for Health in opposition to the Government’s anti-crisis policies in Warsaw today.

Outside the Ministry of Economy, trade unionists will be demanding pay increases and will be protesting against the government’s withdrawal from introducing an early retirement system, the liberalisation of the Labour Code and a cut in investments.

In front of the Ministry for Health, medical trade unionists are to express their opposition to the proposed health reforms in Poland. Emergency services workers, in particular, are to protest against a plan to let private companies take over rescue services.

Robert Szulc, head of the National Union of Emergency Medical Workers stated that the protests will demand to stop the “wild privatisation” of hospitals and clinics throughout the medical field.

Health Minister Ewa Kopacz, who met yesterday with emergency service unionists from the Solidarity Union and the leftist trade union OPZZ, stated that the protests are very political in nature.

Amongst the multi-union protesters, organisers expect around one thousand miners and steelworkers from the Silesia region, as well as representatives from the armaments industry and hypermarket workers gathered from all over Poland.   (jm/mrk/mmj)

Source: PAP, IAR

Photo: jjkason/ flickr.com