PKP Cargo’s recent layoffs have left thousands of workers in financial and emotional turmoil. Former employees are facing delayed severance payments, inability to register as unemployed, and loss of health insurance. Mirosław Bartoszewicz, a former employee from Mrągowo, was terminated just six months before retirement. Promised five months’ severance, he is still awaiting payment. “I don’t know how I’ll survive until March,” Bartoszewicz laments, unable to secure work or unemployment benefits.
Severance Payments Delayed
Despite PKP Cargo receiving nearly PLN 100 million from the Guaranteed Employee Benefits Fund, many workers remain unpaid. Tomasz Banaszek, a former repair master, says, “We’re surviving on my wife’s income while I wait.” The company attributes delays to issues with fund transfers.
While Bartoszewicz finally received his severance on Christmas Eve, he remains without health insurance. Banaszek plans to job hunt but fears what lies ahead. “Being tossed aside so close to retirement feels like garbage,” Bartoszewicz concludes.