Labor Union FAQ

I. OUR MISSION, BENEFITS, AND ACHIEVEMENTS

1. Who are you as an organization? We are the Inter-Company Organization of NSZZ “Solidarność” – “Razem Silniejsi” (Stronger Together), belonging to, among others, the National Section of Telecommunications Workers. We gain our institutional and legal strength from the largest trade union structure in Poland. Additionally, we are affiliated with UNI Global Union, which unites over 30 million members worldwide. As a trade union organization at Teleperformance Polska, we were established on July 1, 2020.

2. What have you already achieved in the company? Instead of just promising, we take action. Here is what we have already won for employees:

Company Social Benefits Fund (ZFŚS): We established a fund from which, among other things, “holiday subsidies” (wczasy pod gruszą) and holiday allowances or financial aid are paid out.
WFH Allowance: We guaranteed a fixed amount to cover electricity and internet costs during remote work.
Privacy on Home Office: We successfully blocked the employer from monitoring remote work using cameras.
Money and conditions: We negotiated raises in KTW (Katowice), anniversary awards, and guaranteed the fair settlement of overtime.
Psychological and office support: Thanks to our petitions, more psychologists and an EAP hotline appeared on-site; we also fought for free coffee in KTW and ergonomic improvements in KRK (Krakow).

3. I’ve heard about plans to create a “Collective Bargaining Agreement”. What does this mean for me? This is our main strategic goal, supported by the global headquarters of UNI Global. We aim to negotiate a Company Collective Bargaining Agreement with the company – we would be the first BPO company in Poland to achieve this! For you, this means an end to asking for a raise on your own. A collective agreement is a solid legal document that guarantees, among other things:

Annual, systemic rate negotiations and guaranteed raises (e.g., by 2.5% every year).
Automatic updates and improvements to benefits year after year.

4. What do I get from joining the Union? What are the benefits and discounts? In addition to solid job protection, every member gets access to a huge database of benefits and free assistance:

24/7 Legal Care (CDO24): Free advice on labor law, civil law, family law (e.g., alimony, divorce), inheritance law, and consumer support.
Discount Ecosystem: Cheaper fuel at Orlen and MOL stations (discounts of 10-15 groszy/liter), car insurance (OC/AC) at PZU, access to Medicover Sport facilities, discounts to amusement parks (e.g., Energylandia), cinemas (Cinema City), and cheap trips to Holiday Park & Resort centers.
Free international training: As an active member, you can travel to fully funded training sessions and conferences (e.g., ETUI) all over Europe.

5. What are you doing about people employed on “junk contracts” (Civil Law/Mandate Contracts – UZ)? Are you fighting for Employment Contracts (UoP)? Absolutely yes. Employment stability is our priority. We start by negotiating with the employer to work out a common path for transitioning from Mandate Contracts (UZ) to Employment Contracts (UoP). If dialogue fails, we have the right tools. An individual employee is often afraid to report the company to the National Labor Inspectorate (PIP) for fear of consequences. As a Union, we can do this systemically and completely safely for you, requesting an institutional verification of the employment relationship. The more of us there are, the stronger our mandate to act!

II. PROTECTION AND SECURITY IN PRACTICE

6. Am I anonymous and safe? Can I face negative consequences for being in the union? Discrimination due to union membership is illegal. We ensure the absolute anonymity of our members. The employer DOES NOT KNOW who belongs to the union (this information is protected by GDPR and confidentiality systems). They will only find out about your membership when they want to hand you a termination notice – and this is where our protection kicks in. Importantly, we do not act behind your back: we fully respect your agency and always consult every step with you.

7. Tell me more about the early warning mechanism for dismissals for those on Employment Contracts (UoP). Since the employer doesn’t know who belongs to the union, the law forces them into a procedure that, in practice, gives you up to 10 days of extra time! How does it work?

First, the employer must ask us if we protect a specific person from the list of those they plan to dismiss. We have 5 days to respond. At this very moment, we find out about the company’s plans and give you an “early warning”.
If we confirm that you are our member, the employer must prepare another official letter explaining to us on what grounds they want to dismiss you. From this moment, the organization has another 5 days to analyze and prepare a reasoned objection.

For you, this means there is no element of surprise. You gain invaluable time to calm your emotions, get a free consultation with our lawyers, and prepare a joint defense even before your boss calls you into a meeting and hands you the document.

8. You recently elected a Social Labor Inspection (SIP). How does it work and what does it give me? The Social Labor Inspection is our internal control arm and a protective shield in the office. Properly trained inspectors (trained by PIP inspectors and legal experts, among others) have powerful competencies:

They inspect working conditions (Health & Safety, ergonomics), ensure equal treatment, and handle anti-mobbing prevention.
They make entries in the “Company Register of Recommendations and Remarks,” which the employer has a legal obligation to address.
If internal reports (so-called “Recommendations”) are ignored, SIP has the ability to escalate the matter directly to the state level, which can result in an intervention by the National Labor Inspectorate (PIP).

III. ACTION AND MEMBERSHIP

9. What do your relations with the company and operating methods look like? We focus on the principle of “Partnership instead of confrontation”. We always start with Social Dialogue and attempts to solve issues systemically together with the employer. Legal steps, labor courts, or notifications to the National Labor Inspectorate are strong tools for us, which we reach for only when regular talks become insufficient. A strike, on the other hand, is a last resort that we are not currently planning. At the moment, we evaluate our cooperation with the company as correct.

10. How much does it cost, and what are my obligations? The only requirement for Union members is paying a monthly membership fee. According to the statute of NSZZ “Solidarność”, it is 0.82% of your gross salary. From these funds, we finance, among other things, free lawyers, expert support, travel, training, and a financial aid fund.

11. Who is on the board of the trade union organization? Chairman: Michał Musiej, Vice Chairman / Treasurer: Maciej Wdowik, Vice Chairwoman / Secretary: Natalia Skibicka, Committee Members: Filipp Mironov, Angelina Bilan, Elvedin Imamović. All were elected in a democratic manner.

12. How can I join you? The whole process is safe and takes just a moment:

Step 1: Scan our QR code (or go to our website) and fill out the E-Declaration using exclusively your private email address, then select “Join Solidarność”.
Step 2: Check your email inbox and click the verification link from the system.
Step 3: Wait for verification – when you receive a welcome message from us, you officially become a protected member of the Union!

13. I want to help or learn more. What can I do? Pass our information along (e.g., using the QR code from our flyers)! Communication with members takes place through our Social Media channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) and via email: kontakt@razemsilniejsi.org. If you are still hesitating or have interesting ideas, write to us with constructive feedback. We also invite you to read the Trade Unions Act if you want to explore the topic of your rights in more depth.