Warsaw, 25th February 2021
Social partners call to open up the economy while maintaining sanitary regime
Organisations of employees and employers, members of the Social Dialogue Council, are calling for the remaining sectors of the economy that remain in the state of lockdown to be opened. At the same time, we call for the implementation of sanitary restrictions adequate to the nature of individual industries. Employees and employers alike are willing to follow the sanitary regime worked out in past months.
The hitherto conduct of both employees and entrepreneurs in times of the COVID-19 epidemic proves that representatives of all industries are able to run their operations at full speed in a prudent manner and taking into account the current state of the epidemic. Recent days have shown that there are no violations of the sanitary regime within industries unlocked in mid-February this year. There are no substantive grounds to differentiate the situation of employees and entrepreneurs from particular industries or sectors.
Decisions consisting merely in restricting business operations of enterprises weaken the Polish economy, which is largely made up of small family businesses. No form of administrative support will replace the entrepreneurs’ relations with their employees, contractors, and consumers – the basis of life in social and economic terms. Therefore, each subsequent day of restrictions is causing irreversible changes. The progressing economic stagnation will result in an increase in unemployment, a spiralling debt of companies, and their subsequent bankruptcies.
For this reason, we call for reason and ask that all employees and companies be allowed to operate on an equal and fair basis. We are ready to act jointly and responsibly, while maintaining all measures whose purpose is to control the scale of the epidemic.
fot. Álvaro Serrano / Unsplash