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J 24 Zbixniew Ifofn    _

only form of tradc union activity at this kvd. Workplacc trade unioc organisation can tako two fortns: as an element of the tradc union or as aa independent "company union.” Therc is also anotber particular typc of tradc union activity, the so callcd inter-undertaking tradc union organisauoc. lt plays the rok? of a workplacc tradc union organisation for employta from sevcral establishment¹. Provisions on a workplacc tradc union or-gnnisation apply to it (Art. 34 ofTUA²). The nghts of a corporatc trade union organisation arc availabtc to organisations with the membership of at least 10 pcoplc (Art. 25' § 1 TUA).

3. Trade union cmployees’ representation and pluralism of unions nithie

the firm: a represcntaliie trade union(s) or a conunon union represenUtioo

as a party to collectire bargaining? conflict or cooperation betwrea

trade unions?

In principlc. cach tradc union organisation in an undcrtaking nu; conducl co!kctivc bargaining with an employer and concludc colkctr¹ labour agrccmcnls or other collcctive arcords. Thus the situation is simpie when therc is only one tradc union in an cnterprisc. Howevcr. in sooc undertakings, in particular in large ones. therc arc some or evcn morę o( such organisation¹.² Polish law respeets the prinaplc of tradc unionf pluralism and docs not provide for any limitations of their number in u undcrtaking. We should also add that with rcspcct to collcctive rights aa!^-interesu Polish law applics the principlc of generał representation (Art. T § 1 of TUA).

That is why in coilective bargaining tradc unions rcprescnl all tbe employccs irrcspcctivc of their membership. When tbere arc morc trale union organisations this principlc implies obvious complications.

As the first remedy the law suggests secking a solulion to thcsc cotnpi-calions by revoking the principlc of cooperation among tradc unions. Tb: principlc oonsists in collecttvc representation of employees by all tradc uniooi present in a givcn undcrtaking (c.g. Art. 241•’ of L.C/, Art. 30 § 4 TUA) If. howcver, thcsc tradc unions are unahlc to agrcc a common positioo, further negotiations can hc conductcd by reprcscntativ« organisations. Tboe

organisations may concludc a coltcctivc agr cement binding upon uli cmployces of the undcrtaking in ąuestion. '1 rade union organisation which has attractcd it least 10% of all cmployces of an cnicrprise is considcrod rcprcscntativc. However. if an organisation is a part or a mcm ber of a suprn-cstablishmcnt rfprc*cntativc organisation with the membership of at least 0.5 m peoplc, it can be considered rcprcscntativc if it joins at least 7% of all cmployces of the undcrtaking If nonę of the organisations in an undcrtaking fulfills the above peroentage rcquiicmcnts, organisation with the biggest membership shall be considered the rcpresenuttivc one (Art. 24I^JS* TUA).

How tradc unions cooperation and rcprc»cntativcncss arc combined depends on the subjcct matter of the bargaining (type of negotiatied colloc-tive agrcement). The issue shall be presented in morc dctail in item I.5.C cooccrning bargaining procedurę.

4. Tradc union eniployce*' representation in eollective bargaining nithin

the firm and the dccreasc of unionization

Present system of industrial relations in Poland contnins mcchanisms aeakening the scope of single empłoyer bargaining. One of them is conncctcd utth limited presenee of tradc unions at workplaccs. They mainly caist in tbe public scctor and the ratę of unioni/ation, in September 2002. amounted to 14% of the workforcc.⁵

Such a situation is causcd hy many factors. Public Opinion Research Center (CBOS) claims the reasons can be divided into three groups. Pirstly. tbe share of industry in totai employment decreaso and this is the scctor wherc tradc unions are relativcly strong. At the same time, the share of the imicc scctor, wherc trade unions are weak. inereases. Undenakings arc smaller on avcragc and newly estaWished enterprises, in particular the smali ones, arc not an casy largct for cmployces' organisations. Sccondly. there is ł dircct link betwcen weak tradc unions and weak civic socicty. Poles arc aoł willmg to organisc thcmsclvcs. rarcly bccomc active mcm bers in or-ginisations and do not pcrccivc benefits any membership can bring. Thirdly, lotne employers creatc obstaclcs to trade unions. Authors of the report eoodudc that in most cascs trade unions arc absem from undcrtakings because the latier are too smali for tradc union organisations to be establi-«hed.‘ This opinion should be supplcmcnted by the statcmcat that Polish law ²

1

   Trade Union Act of Z? May 1991 (J.of L. of the RepoMic of Poland of 2001. No. V,

ilcn 854 with fortfcer chingcsy

*    Morę than a hatf of thoae eoptoyed m finm in w Kich there are iradc uniom daim W tfcere xre at keaii two trade uruow in the firm. ¹ec.: Report of January 2005. by CBOS (Mk Opinion Research Center), TiMnpfcrr.ee »ith the cnployeci' righis and the 'głcy iphcre’ ef employmenl. Tradc unions tn ccecpuaies," p I; aource: http://www.cboi pl/SPlSKOM PCti 2005/K 003 05 PDF

‘ Uboor Codę Act of 26 June 19?4 (J. of L. 1998, No 2t. item 94 with funher chaojn)

2

Report by CBOS (Sociłl Opinie* Research Center! "Opinjc o ewinAach zawodowych" {Opnicm on Tradc t>ruoai|; Source: http://»ww efeos plSPlSKOM.POl.TOOTK 1S0 02.PDF.

• Report of January 2005, by CBOS (Public Opinion Research Center). "Conphance wah a* «ployee»^- n^hu and the 'grey spfcere^- of cntpłoyment. Trade union m companicł." p 4; http://www.cbos pl/SPISKOM POt/2005/K 003 05.PDF.