Background information

Following the spring outbreak of COVID-19 and hasty implementation of anti-crisis government policies, virtually no social dialogue at the central level has been taking place. The situation became even more tense after an attempted move by the government to limit the autonomy of the Social Dialogue Council (RDS), the central tripartite body see case PL-2020-13/1158 .

In late summer the climate started to improve somewhat see case PL-2020-10/1378 and in late September RDS met for the first time in several months, which resulted in a series of bipartite (employee and employers sides, no government) resolutions on vital issues of the body's interest in the current situation.

This entry is about the Resolution no. 88. The subject of the Resolution is public aid to be provided to companies from food industry and tourism.

Content of measure

The Resolution 88 includes number of postulates concerning food industry and tourism. In the first place there is a need stressed for a tripartite negotiations aiming to resolve the following issues:

• possible reductions in fiscal obligations that companies from the two sector have to cope with;
• promotional activities (also at international level) to support hotels, both in the context of B2B and B2C services breaking down due to lockdown;
• withdrawal from or at least suspension of the process leading to introduction of the 'sugar-tax' (expected date of coming to force: 1 January 2021) to be imposed on sales of non-alcoholic beverages (soft drinks), which is claimed to serve as a pro-health measure; social partners warn that some 18 thousand jobs may be at risk of the foreseen regulations are adopted;
• future of the Polski Cukier SA (holding in sugar-manufacturing industry) in the context of governmental plans to establish a state-controlled multi-industry holding in the food-processing sector called Krajowa Grupa Spożywcza SA;
• possible inclusion of the food industry in the category of 'highly energy-consuming' branches of economy, thus making it eligible for reduction in the level of 'power-fee' (an element of the total price of electricity charged by power providers)';
• extended producer responsibility - drawing precise regulations implementing both the 'single-plastic directive' and the 'waste directive' domestically;
• ways for implementation of the EU F2F (From Farm to Fork) Strategy domestically.

Use of measure

The bipartite resolutions have declaratory power and symbolic meaning only, as government does not have to acknowledge any postulates of social partners expressed in such form. However, in this particular case the postulates made by the social partners are somewhat reflected in the Sectoral Shield see case PL-2020-44/1344 which addresses the needs of companies from the tourism industry, although, there is no direct causal link between the Resolution 88 and the piece of legislation.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Applies to all workers	SMEs Larger corporations	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
Social partners jointly	No special funding required

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Agreed (outcome) incl. social partner initiative	Agreed (outcome) incl. social partner initiative
Form	Consultation through tripartite or bipartite social dialogue bodies	Consultation through tripartite or bipartite social dialogue bodies

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Social partners jointly
• Main level of involvement: Peak or cross-sectoral level

Involvement

The resolution emerged as a result of the social partner's initiative.

Views and reactions

Supportive, as this is their own action.

Sectors and occupations

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

• 30 September 2020: Resolution no. 88 (www.dialog.gov.pl)