.png?width=1200&height=630&rmode=max&scale=both&w=860&resize=860,0&ssl=1 "Organising in the Battery Industry: Polish metal unions’ plan")
With Wrocław being one of Poland’s industrial centres, Polish trade unionists met to work on concrete organising strategies for the country’s fast-growing battery sector. The city and the surrounding region are a hub for automotive and battery production, with tens of thousands of workers employed in mobility-related industries.
The aim of the national workshop, organised by industriAll Europe on 1-2 October, was to strengthen cooperation, share experiences and draft practical work plans to organise the battery industry. One representative from IG Metall also participated, reflecting the strong links to the German automotive industry, including companies such as Mercedes and Bosch.
Participants – all from industriAll Europe’s organising network, seeking to better understand the industry and how to organise it – comprised plant-level union delegates, regional officers from the confederations of Solidarność and the Metal Federation of Solidarność, as well as delegates from OPZZ Metalowcy.
The role of Global Framework Agreements was highlighted as one of the tools for due diligence in supply chains, alongside the German Due Diligence Law. Input was provided by Electronic Watch, which monitors working conditions in global electronics and battery supply chains.
Reports focused on the harsh working conditions in battery plants, including extremely dry air in production halls, and protective equipment so complicated that workers avoid leaving their stations for water or to use the toilet because it is too long to unwrap and rewrap afterwards.
The working atmosphere is described as both committed and combative, with delegates determined to develop strong unionisation in this strategic industry. Work plans now focus on recruitment and campaigning in key factories, using OSH, wages and employment conditions as entry points.
Judith Kirton-Darling, General Secretary of industriAll Europe, stressed:
“Strong unions are the guarantee for good industrial jobs in transforming industries. The battery sector will be central to Europe’s future, but it must be built on decent work, safe conditions and collective bargaining. That is why organising is so important.”
This national workshop is part of industriAll Europe’s Organising Programme, which supports affiliates in building trade union power in transformative industries. It is co-financed by the European Commission under the budget line for the capacity building of social partners, ensuring that unions are equipped with the skills, resources and strategies to secure strong collective bargaining in Europe’s battery sector.