The agreement that we have signed together with the ministry of internal affairs is the best that was possible to negotiate; it's a milestone and we are ending the protest, said the chief of the board of police trade unions, Rafał Jankowski after the talks with the interior minister Joachim Brudziński.
The negotiations between the police trade union representatives and the minister of the interior began at 11 a.m. on Thursday. Shortly after 10 p.m., chief of the unions Rafał Jankowski and minister Joachim Brudziński announced that an agreement was reached.
"I'd like to inform everyone on behalf of the Uniformed Services Trade Unions Federation that today we are ending the protest. This agreement is satisfying enough for us to cease the industrial action. We're getting back to work and we will be doing what we do best, that is caring for the safety of all Poles," said the chief of police unions, Rafał Jankowski.
"When I was entering the ministry today I didn't have too much hope that later, at 10 p.m. I will be holding the agreement in my hand," said Jankowski.
According to the chief of police unions, the agreement signed on Thursday is "the best agreement that was possible to negotiate".
He emphasised that it's not perfect and he would like it to be better. "Nevertheless, I think that it's a milestone in the relations between the social side and the minister," added Jankowski.
"I think that today, we started this true and real dialogue. I can't recall the social side ever signing an agreement so beneficial for thounsands of Polish police officers," he underscored. "It's more than just a step in the right direction, we are marching to improve the overall quality of the service and the earnings of the officers," he added.
He also expressed hope that the services under the minister's command would get acquainted with the agreement shortly and find it satisfying.
Poland's Minister of the Interior Joachim Brudziński said there would be no agreement if not for Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Minister of Finance Teresa Czerwińska.
Minister Brudziński said that "even the most skillful interior minister, open and ready for talks, wouldn't achieve anything without the kindness, readiness and openness to meeting the uniformed service officers' rightful demands on the part of prime minister and finance minister".
According to Joachim Brudziński, the agreement could not have been reached if the was no money in the state budget.
The minister also thanked the officers for readiness, that they displayed during the long hours of talks, to treat the agreement as not only return to keeping Poles safe, but also "a call to all the others to return to work as soon as possible".
Officers from services under the interior ministry's command will receive raises of 655 zlotys gross starting January 2019, according to a statement released by the Interior Ministry. The agreement also assumes that officers will get another 500 zlotys gross from the beginning of 2020.
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 International, PAP