Labor unions to support cashiers

The number of employees in different kinds of Polish supermarkets is declining, reported Gazeta Wyborcza on Wednesday. At the same time, labor unions try to impose their conditions on the employers. According to Alfred Bujara from the “NSZZ Solidarność” labor union, the employment of cashiers declined by 40-60 percent in the last seven years. Store chains simultaneously open new units, but also make employees redundant in the old ones. Labor unions express their discontent and organize protests. In 2011 a labor union “Sierpień 80” protested at Tesco store chain in Tychy, southwestern Poland, with “NSZZ Solidarność” protesting this year at Lidl management board near Poznań, western Poland. Labor unions desire higher salaries for the cashiers, even by 10 percent. However, retail chains are rather unwilling in this respect, as well as in respect of increasing the employment. Many people are employed by means of so-called junk contracts what additionally makes them easily laid off. Some store chains develop different technologies which make cashiers superfluous, e.g. automatic cash units or personal scanners.