The entire workforce of Rafako—until recently the largest manufacturer of boilers for the energy sector in Europe—has been handed termination notices. That’s almost 700 people. A desperate plea sent in January to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the Minister of State Assets, and the Minister of Industry by the plant’s labor unions and Racibórz local authorities went unanswered. For the past month, the District Labor Office in Racibórz has been conducting training sessions for the laid-off workers and is preparing for a significant rise in unemployment in Racibórz County as soon as March.
Operations halted at Rafako
The group layoffs have been ongoing and were finalized today. Employees who received notices in February have been partly released from their duties; they don’t need to come to work anyway, as there are no orders. Nearly 700 people—comprising the company’s entire staff of engineers, production workers, fitters, turners, and welders—have lost their jobs. Some of them had been employed here for as long as 40 years.
According to Jacek Balcer, Rafako’s long-time press spokesperson, the company email address he used no longer functions, and he himself is no longer employed by the firm.
Wojciech Zymek, the bankruptcy trustee appointed to manage Rafako since the company was declared insolvent on December 19, 2024, has decided to establish a reserve fund of around PLN 37.1 million to finance the bankruptcy process. Part of this sum will be used to pay severance packages to employees, amounting to one, two, or three months’ salary, depending on length of service. The notice periods will end, at the latest, on May 31, 2025.
The Prime Minister could not find a way to save Rafako
On January 30 of this year, all of Rafako’s labor unions issued a desperate appeal to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Jakub Jaworowski (Minister of State Assets), and Marzena Czarnecka (Minister of Industry) to save the company. The document was also signed by Jacek Wojciechowicz, Mayor of Racibórz, and Grzegorz Swoboda, Head of Racibórz County.
It is worth noting that during the 2023 election campaign, Donald Tusk—then a candidate for Prime Minister—had promised Rafako employees he would “definitely find a way” to rescue the plant. But he never followed through.
“It’s not about jobs, but about the people”
According to reports from the daily Parkiet, Minister Jaworowski maintains that state assistance for Rafako is still possible, stressing that people—not jobs—are the priority. The Ministry of State Assets (MAP) became involved only after Rafako’s bankruptcy was officially declared.
“I understand the regional context, but we’re approaching this calmly and planning certain solutions. We have to remember that in recent years Rafako has struggled with contract fulfillment and is not under the MAP’s supervision,” Parkiet cites Minister Jaworowski as saying.
Once the largest boiler manufacturer for the energy sector
We reached out to Przemysław Kuk, Director of the Department of Communications at MAP, for comment, but received no response. The same silence came from Tomasz Głogowski, Press Officer for the Ministry of Industry, based in Katowice. Our queries primarily concerned what measures the ministry had taken to save Rafako and whether the loss of such a key energy-industry manufacturer in Poland could be reversed. Rafako had been the largest producer of boilers for the energy sector in Europe.
In November of last year, Prime Minister Tusk appointed Wojciech Wrochna, Deputy Minister of Industry, to serve as the government’s plenipotentiary for strategic energy infrastructure. Union representatives had hoped Rafako could be classified as strategic energy infrastructure—similar to the approach taken with Huta Częstochowa, which is currently managed by Węglokoks, a move that protected jobs there.
Local authorities step up
Union representatives still believe something can be done, but no decision on Rafako’s future has been made. They have not received any response to their appeal. The same goes for local authorities in Racibórz.
“No, we have received no information at all in this matter,” says Joanna Janik, head of the Office of the Mayor of Racibórz. “We’ve known for a long time, however, about the possibility of collective layoffs at Rafako, so local government institutions have prepared for it.”
Labor Office braces for unemployment surge
Employees at the District Labor Office in Racibórz have been training former Rafako workers for the past month. They explain what rights unemployed individuals have and where to look for new jobs. They also outline options for obtaining grants to start a business.
“In Racibórz County, unemployment benefits are paid for six months or, if someone is over 50 years old with at least 20 years of service, 12 months—which applies to a large portion of Rafako staff,” explains Edyta Trojańska, head of the registration, benefits, and information department at the Labor Office in Racibórz. “The benefit amounts to PLN 1,329.60 gross for those with up to five years of employment, PLN 1,662 gross for five to 20 years of employment, and PLN 1,994.40 gross for more than 20 years of service. We don’t yet know exactly how many of the laid-off workers will contact us; it depends on whether they can secure new jobs on their own. Some will try to qualify for pre-retirement benefits. However, it’s certain that unemployment will rise in March—Rafako was one of the county’s largest employers.”
127 percent increase in group layoffs
“According to data from the Provincial Labor Office, the number of group layoffs in the Silesian Voivodeship in 2024 was 127 percent higher than in 2023! Across Poland, compared to 2023, the figure rose by 50 percent. Unemployment is on the rise. The situation doesn’t look good at all,” writes Jarosław Wieczorek—former Silesian Voivode and a Law and Justice MP—on social media.