“I don’t know what awaits us – perhaps this Monday I will receive a notice of termination,” said Grzegorz Babij, chairman of the “Solidarity” trade union at PG “Silesia,” in an interview with Niezalezna.pl. As he claims, since the plant was taken over by a private company, his union has been “pushed out,” and employees – despite a previously signed agreement – are losing their jobs. “I don’t know what methods Mr. Marcin Sutkowski, the main shareholder of Bumech and the owner, will use next to destroy ‘Solidarity’,” Babij adds.
Niezalezna.pl: “When the mine administrator announced layoffs for the entire workforce – 754 people – at the end of last year, nearly 20 miners protested underground. For over a week, they refused to come to the surface. All of Poland was talking about it. To end the protest, Energy Minister Miłosz Motyka, Bumech S.A., the social side, and the court-appointed administrator signed an agreement in Katowice on December 29, 2025. Bumech, which has a court administrator and is undergoing restructuring, committed not to lay off anyone and to take over all employees by leasing the plant. Meanwhile, already in January, nearly 40 people were dismissed. What happens next?”
Grzegorz Babij: “As presented by the employer, all employees were supposed to transfer to Bumech after consent for the lease was granted. Unfortunately, people now have their access cards – necessary to enter the plant – blocked. No one knows why or for what purpose. We believe this is being done to call the employee – such cases have already occurred – and propose that although the person was not originally planned to transfer to Bumech, if they submit a mutual termination agreement with PG “Silesia,” they will be rehired… for a period of 6 months. This is circumventing the law! Article 23¹ of the Labor Code regulates the transfer of a workplace – or part of it – to a new employer, while maintaining existing employment and pay conditions.
Moreover, Bumech’s idea also allows for removing a given person from the collective redundancy process. The employee leaves voluntarily, and then compensation looks completely different – they are left with nothing. Yes, this is unfortunately what is happening in our company. We are dealing with people who should not be allowed to cooperate with others, because they have no empathy whatsoever. I do not want to insult anyone to avoid legal consequences, but these are fraudsters, fraudsters, fraudsters. It is unbelievable.”
How many people may lose their jobs?
“I don’t know. The employer is obligated to provide information to trade unions – both the current one and the new one we are supposed to transfer to – about how many people are transferring and under what conditions, but they are not doing this. Besides, what does the employer even mean by an ‘organized part of an enterprise’ that Bumech is supposed to take over from the mine? What does that even mean?”
That is quite unusual.
“Not only that, ‘Solidarity’ receives no responses to any letters. ‘Solidarity’ is not invited to inter-union meetings. ‘Solidarity’ is currently being pushed out. I had tears in my eyes today because we were removing our banner from our office. The ‘Kadra’ Trade Union, which owns the building, terminated our lease agreement. Now we have to move to some hole on the mine’s premises – but that’s not the problem. We will manage. Today we live in uncertain times; today we do not know whether our union will even continue to exist… While preparing for the transfer of employees, the employer decided to establish a Temporary Company Commission at Bumech in order to prevent talks with the commission formed by the social side. ‘Solidarity’ is the largest trade union in the mine – we represent nearly 400 people. This is unbelievable! How can such a situation be allowed? How can Bumech be granted a coal extraction license, as was recently done by the Ministry of Climate and Environment? Especially since Bumech, as the owner of PG ‘Silesia,’ earned enormous money from the plant. And over the past year and a half, it has brought a previously profitable company to the brink of collapse. A court administrator had to step in, and restructuring proceedings were initiated. And now suddenly, because Bumech allegedly has no money to invest in PG ‘Silesia,’ it is applying to lease the mine. Please explain this to me… It is said that if people now transfer to Bumech, they will ‘live like kings’… This is outrageous – how the Ministry of Climate and Environment or the Ministry of Energy can turn a blind eye to what the owner of PG ‘Silesia’ is doing.”
Niezalezna.pl directed many questions to the mine’s owner and the administrator, and most remained unanswered. Now, Babij said that “Solidarity” may cease to exist in “Silesia”…
“I do not know what methods Mr. Marcin Sutkowski, the main shareholder of Bumech and the owner, will use next to destroy ‘Solidarity.’ I do not even know what my own future in this company will be, because at this moment I have no information about transferring to Bumech. Perhaps, together with the restructuring administrator, I will remain in PG ‘Silesia.’ The collective redundancy process is scheduled until March 31 this year. Perhaps this Monday I will receive a notice of termination.”
“The chairman of our Audit Committee has already been dismissed, as well as the vice-chairman of ‘Solidarity,’ who has one year left until retirement; a member of the board. What is the problem with dismissing the chairman as well… Then new elections are required, but a ‘signal is sent’ to the next person – if you want to work under Bumech, leave ‘Solidarity.’ I have grievances against state institutions, for example the National Labour Inspectorate. We have unpaid wages and bonuses. Every week I report something to the Inspectorate – they are probably already fed up with me, I don’t even hide it anymore, I say it openly. I ask what the results are. I ask where we, as employees, are supposed to seek help…”