Carrefour workers in Poland demand fair compensation in mass layoffs

Carrefour workers in Poland, who are members of UNI Global Union affiliate, Solidarność, are pushing for a fair redundancy deal as the company plans to lay off 340 employees across 26 stores.

Despite Carrefour’s money for ongoing store renovations and expansions, management has refused to offer anything beyond the legal minimum severance payments to workers facing redundancy, leaving affected employees without adequate professional and social security.

Workers and Solidarność have outlined clear demands to mitigate the impact of these job cuts and ensure affected employees receive fair treatment:

• Introduction of a voluntary redundancy programme instead of compulsory layoffs.
• Additional severance payments proportional to years of service.
• Subsidies for training and retraining programmes.
• Extension of employer-provided supplementary health care for six months post-dismissal.
• Extension of employer-provided life insurance for six months post-dismissal.

Following the breakdown of negotiations, Solidarność organized a discussion with Carrefour workers, attended by Adrian Zamberg, a member of parliament and presidential candidate. At the meeting, workers and union representatives signed a joint letter to Carrefour’s Global Management Board in France, urging them to intervene. The letter criticized Carrefour Poland’s handling of the layoffs, accusing the company of treating workers who have served the company for ten, 15, or even more than 20 years as disposable.

The layoffs are set to be completed by 31 March 2025. However, the union and workers have yet to receive a response from Carrefour’s global management and will determine their next steps based on the company’s reply.

Alfred Bujara, President of Solidarność Commerce, condemned Carrefour Poland’s stance: “It is reprehensible that Carrefour Poland does not show goodwill to mitigate the effects of terminations within the framework of group layoffs and redundancy. They justify it with a lack of financial resources in a situation when they are opening new stores in Poland. Instead of laying off employees, the employer should transfer them to newly opened stores.”

Mathias Bolton, Head of UNI Commerce, echoed the call for fair treatment: “We join Solidarność in calling on Carrefour management to focus on saving as many jobs as possible and minimizing the negative impact of the layoffs. Improving the compensation package and offering voluntary redundancies is undoubtedly a better solution than dismissing Carrefour workers in Poland who want to keep their jobs. It’s the least they deserve.”