Union Organising in Poland in the Regional Context of CEE

Trade union organising has been one of the central strategies of trade union revitalisation in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The Anglo-American model of organising was transferred to the region in the 1990s. Poland was the first CEE country in which the organising approach was implemented by NSZZ 'Solidarność', then variety of trade unions followed. Organising has not brought about sustainable membership growth in the Polish trade unions even if it contributed to a number of qualitative changes, including the unionisation of multinational companies. Among the key challenges to further trade union membership growth, the paper points to a rapid increase of precarious employment in Poland. It is suggested that due to peculiarities of labour market and legal contexts that constrain union organising of precarious workers, trade unions need to seek for possible coalitions with the emergent employee associations, community groups and social movements. As the environment transformed, trade unions need to re-evaluate their strategic goals, organisational structures and mode of operation, which have remained unchanged over the years, and are barely adequate to the current demands, challenges and opportunities.