Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2025, published 114th ILC session (2026)

Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) - Poland (Ratification: 1957)

Article 3 of the Convention. Right of organizations to organize their activities in full freedom and to formulate their programmes. The Committee previously requested the Government to review the draft Act on Resolving Collective Labour Disputes in consultation with the social partners, to ensure that workers’ organizations were able to express, if necessary, through protest actions, their views as regards economic and social matters affecting their members’ interests (sections 1 and 17 define strikes as a means of settling a collective dispute relating to working conditions, wages, social benefits, union rights and freedoms of employees or other groups of persons who enjoy the right to organize). The Committee notes the Government’s indication that it remains open to discussing the right to strike in the broader sense, including political strikes, so as to take into account the right of citizens to express their views on Government actions, but that such discussion must also ensure that individual employers do not suffer negative consequences of a strike because of the policies pursued by public authorities. Recalling that strikes relating to the Government’s economic or social policies, including general strikes, are legitimate and should not be regarded as purely political strikes (which are not covered by the principles of the Convention), the Committee requests the Government to take the necessary measures in consultation with the social partners, including in the framework of the previously commenced review of the Act on Resolving Collective Labour Disputes or other legislative action, to ensure that workers’ organizations are able to express, if necessary, through protest actions, their views more broadly as regards economic and social matters affecting their members’ interests. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the steps taken in this regard.