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Crowds gather for Labour Day rally in Polish capital

PR dla Zagranicy
Victoria Bieniek 01.05.2017 14:29
Crowds, including people wielding banners which read “bring back dignified work”, gathered to mark Labour Day in Warsaw.
Protesters in Warsaw carry a banner which reads: "Yes to dignified work, no to exploitation". Photo: PAP/Marcin Obara.Protesters in Warsaw carry a banner which reads: "Yes to dignified work, no to exploitation". Photo: PAP/Marcin Obara.

They protested conditions in Poland which resulted in nearly 90,000 work-related accidents and 239 deaths last year.

Włodzimierz Czarzasty, the leader of the Democratic Left Alliance party which co-organised the march, said that Poland was the European Union's leading country for “junk contracts” which offer no assurances, no paid leave and no social insurance.

But Labour Minister Elżbieta Rafalska said that the governing Law and Justice (PiS) party increased the minimum wage in Poland in 2017 in order to improve conditions for workers.

The monthly minimum wage for full-time employees is PLN 2,000 (EUR 474) before tax, the hourly rate is PLN 13, and the Chief Labour Inspectorate has a new programme for ensuring that employers comply.

The march in Warsaw was co-organised by the All-Poland Alliance of Trade Unions.

Other events were held in cities around the country.

Each year, 1 May, International Labour Day, is marked in many countries around the world, including Poland, where it is a public holiday. (vb/pk)

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