Dear Piotr,
Dear OPZZ members,
Dear friends,
The ETUC is in full solidarity with you today.
What a powerful message you are sending: standing together, united, determined, and full of hope.
You are showing the way. Your mobilisation today is not only a demand for justice in Poland, it is part of a growing wave of action across Europe. From Warsaw to Brussels, Rome to Amsterdam, working people are rising up to say: we want a fair deal, and we will not be ignored.
Your demands for decent wages, strong public services, safe jobs, affordable housing, and a just green transition are echoed by workers across Europe. And they are being carried forward by the European Trade Union Confederation, right to the doors of the EU institutions.
Together, we are building a movement for change. That movement is already shifting the dial. In France mobilisations have protected national holidays that were threatened. In Belgium, weekend bonusses have also been protected.
And today in Warsaw, you are saying it loud and clear: enough is enough.
Workers are being pushed to the brink. Prices are soaring, wages are not keeping up, and housing is becoming unaffordable. Families are being forced to choose between heating their homes and putting food on the table. And yet, corporate keep posting eye watering profits.
Together, we are demanding higher wages and secure jobs – because no one should work full-time and still struggle to get by.
We are demanding strong public services – because education, healthcare, and administration are the backbone of a fair society.
We are demanding a Just Green Deal – because the green transition must create good jobs, not destroy them.
We are demanding affordable housing, safe workplaces, and shorter working hours – because working people deserve a life of dignity, not just survival.
And we are demanding social dialogue as a duty, not a favour – because democracy at work is essential to democracy in society.
These are not radical demands. They are basic rights. And they are being championed by the ETUC through our campaign for a Quality Jobs Act – to ensure that jobs are not just counted, but that they count: fairly paid, secure, and built on strong trade union rights.
We are pushing back against the so-called reforms that threaten to dismantle protections just when workers need them most. We are fighting for a new economic model – one rooted in solidarity, fairness, and investment in people and planet.
To the government of Poland, and to all those in power across Europe, we say: listen to the people who keep this country running. Respect their work. Respect their rights. Respect their voice.
To every worker in the streets of Warsaw today: you are not alone. The European trade union movement stands with you. We will not stop until justice, fairness, and dignity are a reality for all.
Together, we are strong. Together, we will win.
Solidarity forever.
Esther Lynch
General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation