ORGANISING ACADEMY

Polish members within PCS CMSOA (Culture Media & Sport Occupational Association) recently set up a Polish members network, run by Polish members, for Polish members. Here is key Culture sector Polish activist and Union Learning Rep, Jolanta Woch, on our participation in the TUC/BERR  recruitment event at POSK (Polish Social and Cultural Association); on some of the issues affecting Polish workers within the UK, and on what inspired her to get involved…

 I have been living in England since 1994. For the past four years I have worked in one of London’s major museums. Last year I trained as a Union Learning Representative of the PCS. My role is to provide information about learning to the employees of the museum. To its members, the trade union offers a lot of free of charge or discounted courses in computing, digital photography and language classes. Some of the courses provide work qualifications.

Since sitting on the union’s committee, I have learned a great deal about  employment law and have a real understanding about the disciplinary, absences, health and safety issues etc which are resolved in the workplace.

I have an opportunity to voice my opinions and influence decisions. It increases my standing in the eyes of my colleagues. I feel safe at work knowing that when facing a problem I will receive  advice and support of the union representatives and if necessary, the PCS lawyers.

Some Poles, who came to POSK that day, recently lost their jobs. They were very worried about their future. They probably secretly hoped to find a job there. Immediate return to Poland is not always possible. Back home there is a crisis too, unemployment figures much higher than in the UK. There are many redundancies in the factories and in the offices. In some parts of Poland there are no jobs all. The most moving experience for me was a meeting with a group of 5 men. The youngest of them could have been in his early twenties, the oldest, probably a relative, well past sixty. They work as cleaners in an  airport and are so appallingly treated by the young managers that they made a journey to POSK to seek help.

Looking at the older man I felt my heart break.

There is nothing wrong with emigrating in your old age to another country, even if you don’t know the language. There in nothing shameful about a cleaning job in your retirement age, if it is what is needed to survive.

But to be bullied by your twenty year old manager?

-         ‘Create a union branch in your workplace’, I said.

-         ‘Fill in the application papers tomorrow. You become a member of the

unions from the date of signing the form. From that date as well you become a part of a big organisation created to defend workers. This is the purpose of existence of a trade union.

* Jolanta’s article can be found in Polish on our website:www.pcs.org.uk/cmsoa

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