Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Tuesday was hosted by the leaders of the Solidarity trade union in Gdańsk, as the organisation demands a payrise for public sector employees.
The meeting was held behind closed doors at Solidarity's headquarters and lasted around five hours. The PM arrived with the Family, Labour and Social Policy Minister Elżbieta Rafalska, Education Minister Anna Zalewska and government spokesperson Joanna Kopcińska, among other associates.
At a joint press briefing with Solidarity leader Piotr Duda afterwards, PM Morawiecki said the meeting offered an opportunity to discuss "many aspects of social and economic life."
As the PM added, he is committed to delivering on the ruling Law and Justice party's pledges, such as "building a strong, well-performing, united, just and cohesive state." Such a state should be "friendly to people, citizens, employees, especially the workforce, represented, of course, by the trade unions, among other organisations."
The world's strongest economies are based on consensus and dialogue, the head of government said, citing Germany, Japan, France and the Scandinavian economies.
"I deeply believe that what we are trying to develop," the PM stated, "is the best model for Poland - in terms of the minimum salary, in terms of pay, also public sector pay, but in many other areas, as well."
Solidarity leader Piotr Duda called the meeting "very fruitful," as "certain matters could be thoroughly discussed." The three key topics for Solidarity, he added, are the "unfreezing" of the public sector pay indicator next year, the minimum salary for 2019 and the "unfreezing" of the indicator for calculating the company social benefits fund.
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 International, PAP