After 25 years, the management board of Enea terminated the Collective Labor Agreement. “The measures being taken indicate that group layoffs are being prepared. Perhaps it is about transferring part of the company to an external private entity. This is very concerning,” said Law and Justice (PiS) MP Marek Suski during a press conference in the Sejm.
A few weeks ago, trade unions reported that on September 18, the management board of ENEA S.A. informed employees about the termination of the Collective Labor Agreement.
The workforce admits that they see the termination of the agreement as part of broader changes, including the separation of the sales division. They emphasize that the way the decision was communicated undermined trust in the management board. “We’re not talking about disappointment today – that was a year ago. Now we’re talking about a sense of arrogance and a complete lack of understanding,” reads a statement from the National Association of Continuous Operation Workers’ Trade Unions.
Mass layoffs and privatization?
Today, Law and Justice (PiS) politicians addressed the issue in the Sejm.
“The information that Enea’s management board has terminated the collective labor agreement has greatly alarmed us, as well as the 18,000 employees of the Enea Capital Group. The matter is serious, and this concern has spread to residents of a large part of Poland. The termination of a collective labor agreement after more than 25 years of validity is not a common situation. This directly affects the employees of the Enea Group, but we also interpret it as a threat to Poland’s energy security. Trade union members point out that a scenario previously implemented in other state-owned companies before privatization is now unfolding at Enea,” said MP Bartłomiej Wróblewski.
Concerns about Enea’s possible privatization were also raised by Marek Suski.
“The measures being taken indicate that group layoffs are being prepared. Perhaps it is about transferring part of the company to an external private entity. This is very concerning,” he said.
PKP Cargo, Poczta Polska, and now – Enea
MP Agata Wojtyszek called for the reinstatement of the collective labor agreement.
“The Bogdanka Coal Mine (KWK Bogdanka) also belongs to the Enea Group. Trade unions demanded that it be transferred back to the State Treasury. On March 3, the Minister of State Assets announced that no such transfer was planned, arguing that Enea is a group that takes care of its employees. This decision shows how they are actually being treated. If Enea is now privatized, the next step will be the privatization of KWK Bogdanka,” said MP Kazimierz Choma.
Kacper Płażyński recalled that a similar scenario had already played out at PKP Cargo and Poczta Polska, where group layoffs followed the termination of collective agreements.
“We will not allow this process to happen quietly, and we expect Donald Tusk to explain what plans the government has for the Enea company,” said Płażyński.