Employee Representatives in Poland. How are They Perceived and What are the Expectations by Employers?

In this chapter, the social and historical context of the labor movement in Poland as well as the current situation of Polish trade unions including NSZZ “Solidarity” are discussed. Results of employer’s perceptions on ERs are presented based on the survey among 58 Polish HR managers of different sectors. Suggestions are given by employers on how to improve social dialogue in Poland. The results are not very optimistic since social dialogue is not naturally present in Polish companies. Therefore it’s of key importance to provide workers and employers in Poland with the empirical evidence and good practices in Europe showing the benefits of an innovative social dialogue.