Forum Związków Zawodowych (Trade Unions Forum)
The Trade Unions Forum was established in 2001 by all-Poland trade union organizations. Since that time, the Trade Unions Forum, alongside with the All-Poland Alliance of Trade Unions and NSZZ “Solidarność”, create the main powers of trade union activities on the territory of Poland.
Currently, there are 400,000 members united in the Trade Unions Forum. As an organization with unions from specific economic fields, within our structures we unite over 80 national and plant trade unions including such groups of workers as: nurses, midwives, railway workers, drivers, police officers, miners, workers of maintaining permanent movement, border guards, prison guards, engineers and technicians, medical rescuers, tax office workers, executive administration workers, police workers, post office workers, fire brigade workers, sailors, fishermen, teachers, employees of the education and culture sector and others.
The main priority of the Trade Unions Forum’s activities is respecting dignity and worker´s interests of all professional groups. Forum, as a trade unions confederation, uses all available tools of social dialogue to protect the employees’ well-being. Effective realization of accepted aims can be achieved only by cooperation of member organizations that results in working out joint attitudes towards the organs of authorities and administration. Forum has also the function of mediation in disputes between its member organizations as well as state and self-government authorities. Within the statutory activities – in addition to training activities aimed at improving qualifications and knowledge of its activists –Forum conducts also analyses and research, as well as cultural, educational, information and publishing work.
Along with other social partners and the government, Forum participates actively in the social dialogue at central stage within the framework of the Tripartite Commission for Socio-Economic Affairs, and at regional stage in Provincial Committees for Social Dialogue. Forum’s representatives are also present in all Provincial and Communal Employment Councils as well as in other bodies conducting dialogue both at central and regional level.
Forum is also present in the institutions of the European Union. Its representatives are among others involved in the work of the European Economic and Social Committee, the European Advisory Committee for the Flow of Employees and Advisory Committee for the Coordination of Social Security Systems. Our representatives also participate in other EU’s committees, where they cooperate with the other European trade union organizations for the benefit of social progress, protection of human rights and democratic freedoms.
In March 2012 the Trade Unions Forum joined the European Trade Union Confederation.
The main aims at EU level that Forum assumes to implement after joining the European Trade Union Confederation are as follows:
