Trade Union Rule Book – English abstract

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www.wBREw.org
ul. Żbikowa 14; 61-065 Poznań
Phone: +48 501 01 01 01

TRADE UNION RULE BOOK
of
„wBREw”
National Trade Union of the Self-Employed
PREAMBLE

Self-employment is a challenge and responsibility, sometimes undertaken by choice and sometimes by necessity. Self-employment means more taxes, fewer rights and no representation. A self-employed person is an entrepreneur who works like an employee, but does not have employee protection. The situation of the self-employed is exploited by large corporations and the omnipotent predatory state.

The wBREw trade union is a union of self-employed people from many industries and of many backgrounds, with diverse worldviews. wBREw represents their interests against the strong who do not want dialogue or agreement. The self-employed at wBREw are united by the certainty that every piece of work has value, that dignity cannot be bought and that a Good State is a community of those who combine freedom with responsibility.

Self-employed! Our work matters!

We stand guard of dignity and law, and a Good State is our Right. 

Many of the little ones will prevail against the big ones, against all odds (Polish: wBREw wszelkim przeciwnościom).

Chapter I

General

Section 1

The Union is called: „wBREw” National Trade Union of the Self-Employed, in short: OZZS „wBREw”, hereinafter referred to as the Union.

Section 2

  1. OZZS „wBREw” is a voluntary, independent and self-governing trade union which associates persons performing gainful employment, including in particular persons providing work for remuneration on a basis other than an employment relationship.
  2. The Union may also include and accept other persons who have the right to associate in trade unions, in particular those who have retired, annuitants, persons receiving a pre-retirement allowance or pre-retirement benefit or those who temporarily remain unemployed due to job-seeking, as well as those who provide unpaid work as volunteers.
  3. The union may include the persons referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2, in particular regardless of age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, belief, basis of employment and position.
  4. The Union creates basic organizational units that can become legal entities, which are, according to their competences, Industry Coordination Unit, Company Coordination Unit, Environmental Coordination Unit.

Chapter II

Objectives and Tasks of the Union

Section 8

The objectives of the Union are in particular:

  1. Social, economic and personal development of Union members and all citizens of the Republic of Poland.
  2. Representing and defending the rights and interests of employees, citizens and social workers and other persons associated in the Union and their families.
  3. Shaping social activity, professional ethics and protect the dignity of working persons.
  4. Action for fair social and economic relations in the local, national and international dimension.
  5. Cooperating with trade union organizations, organizations and social movements in the country and abroad on a partnership basis.
  6. Action to improve the standard of living of trade unionists and their families.
  7. Influencing for self-government, democracy, social justice and solidarity, as well as respect and inclusivity in interpersonal relations.
  8. Promoting, implementing, respecting and ensuring the protection of human rights in all areas of social life, in labour relations in particular, including building a value chain of respect for human rights and environmental standards. 
  9. An inclusive interpretation of the maxim that human entrepreneurship is an essential manifestation of fundamental individual freedoms and social freedoms. 
  10. Fight for the improvement of working conditions, its safety and for a decent, undifferentiated remuneration for all employees.
  11. Preventing and counteracting human trafficking in all its forms, including in particular the exploitation of human beings for slavery and forced labour.
  12. Seeking that both government and business accountability as well as that of other stakeholders and customers is honoured under labour law.
  13. Promoting transparency and accountability for risks of human rights violation in labour relations.
  14. Active participation in the reconstruction and creation of the social contract.
  15. Implementation of the principles of deliberative democracy and communality in social life.
  16. Action for the education and learning and professional development of the self-employed.
  17. Action for the protection of health and universal, free, equal access to them and for the protection of the human environment.

Section 9

The Union aims to achieve its objectives by, inter alia:

  1. Organizing the cooperation of members, presenting the position of members towards the bodies of legislative authority, state, local and economic administration, as well as political and other organizations operating in the sphere of public benefit.
  2. Activities for the implementation of social agreements and the conclusion of collective labour agreements and other types thereof, as well as defence of the rights achieved.
  3. Trade union control of compliance with workers’ rights.
  4. Undertaking initiatives to improve labour law, the social security system and broadly understood social and economic policy.
  5. Taking action for the dignity of workers and persons deprived of work.
  6. Conducting disputes with state administration bodies, local government, employers’ organizations and employers in order to implement statutory tasks.
  7. Providing legal assistance to trade unionists; intervening and mediating in cases of conflict between the employee and the employer.
  8. Initiating and organizing assistance to Union members, including organizing forms of self-help and job placement.
  9. Conducting business activity to obtain funds for the implementation of statutory tasks.
  10. Conducting training, information and promotional activities, publishing; providing social assistance, initiating activities for leisure, culture, sport, recreation and tourism, as well as rehabilitation.
  11. Integration of self-employed communities to support local communities.
  12. Organization of conferences and scientific seminars.
  13. Opinion poll and publication of reports on these surveys.
  14. Counteracting the causes and effects of social pathology.
  15. Conducting educational and cultural activities.
  16. Organizing and supporting activities for participation in culture, leisure, sport and tourism. 
  17. Conducting various forms of charity. 
  18. Insurance of Union members.

Section 10

  1. The Union pursues its objectives and tasks through negotiations with state and local government authorities, administrative bodies, social organizations, employers and entities employing self-employed persons who are not employers.
  2. In the event of a violation of the rights and interests of employees, the interests of other persons referred to in Section 2 and the rights of the Union, if the dispute in this respect is not resolved in the mode of negotiation or cannot be resolved in this way – the Union has the right to protest actions, including strike on the terms specified by law.
  3. If the actions referred to in Section 10 para 2 are nationwide in scope, they are shall be undertaken by and are the responsibility of National Commission of the Union. If they have a local scope or a scope limited to a specific workplace (employing entity), environment or industry, they shall be undertaken by and are the responsibility of, with the consent of National Commission, the Executive Committee of the competent basic organizational unit of the Union, unless otherwise agreed in an agreement between National Commission and this unit.
  4. The body authorized to conduct a collective dispute on behalf of the trade union, as well as to take over to conduct a collective dispute already initiated, is each body of the Union distinguished in the Rule Book. In particular, it may be National Commission and the basic organizational unit of the Union. National Commission may appoint other bodies for this purpose.
  5. The union creates a national strike fund and determines the forms of its use.
  6. The basic organizational units of the Union and its other bodies, regardless of the level they occupy in the structure of the Union, should in their activities create conditions for Union members to present their positions and views and support them in their efforts to respect human rights, civil and social rights guaranteed in the Constitution and the norms of international law binding Poland.

Section 12

  1. A member of the Union, regardless of the type of membership, may be any person performing gainful employment, including in particular a person providing paid work on a basis other than the employment relationship (self-employed), as well as other persons who have the right to associate in trade unions, in particular those who have retired, annuitants, persons receiving a pre-retirement allowance or pre-retirement benefit or those who temporarily remain unemployed due to job-seeking, as well as those who provide unpaid work as volunteers.

Trade Union Rule Book