Strike action at PKP Cargo

PKP Cargo said it cannot afford to meet the unions’ wage hike demands, which a management representative said could add PLN 120 million to labour costs.

The unions have demanded wage rises of PLN 250 per month for each employee taking part in the strike action.

The management board said in a statement that it had informed the State Labour Inspector about the strike action and turned down the demands.

In April 2014 strike action ended in over 20,000 employees of the company being granted wage rises and bonuses. Another strike took place at the end of last year and ended in mid-February, also over pay.

The company’s 18,000 employees reportedly earn on average wages PLN 4,000 gross a month.

Almost 900 employees of PKP Cargo voluntarily resigned from the company at the end of June as part of a restructuring programme and ceased employment on 1 July. As many as 1,193 employees applied to join the programme, but 874 were accepted.

In the first three months of 2015, the company made a net profit of PLN 17.67 million, down from PLN 57.53 million in the same period a year earlier. (jh)