A social club instead of a dialogue?

Maria Ochman of the NSZZ Solidarity health care, who is chairing the work of the Team this six months on behalf of the trade union side, stressed that at meetings with health ministry representatives the atmosphere is pleasant, but there is a lack of clear declarations and unequivocal decisions. As an example, she cited the law on minimum wages - for several months it has not been possible to determine what the government's actual plans are for this law, only media enunciations on this (and not only) topic reach the members of the Team. - It has turned a bit into such a social club for us. We don't accept this kind of dialogue. I hope that when employers take over the chairmanship of the Team from January, its work will gain more momentum and it will be possible to receive the government's position sooner," said Maria Ochman.

Wojciech Wiśniewski, an expert from the Federation of Polish Entrepreneurs, recalled that during the first year of Donald Tusk's government in the area of health care, there were only a few bills on health care, but only one was properly consulted (the law on blood donation and blood supply). The Ministry of Health, on the other hand, did not talk to the ZT, for example, about changes concerning hospitality. For what it's worth, after the public consultations that the draft went through, a provision was added at the last straight before the government's decision, allowing for the merger of SPZOZs with existing capital companies performing medical activities, while excluding the liability of the forming entity. - We're glad that these changes fell through, because hospital suppliers would have gotten a termination of the line of credit in hospitals," Wisniewski said. That's one of the arguments that stopped work on the draft and caused it to be sent back for public consultation.

Wisniewski also stressed that the two biggest problems in health care today are the lack of money in the National Health Fund and queues, which, according to the Fund itself, are growing rapidly. - We don't see any project that addresses these problems, and on the contrary, there is a project on lowering the premium, he pointed out.

- As trade unions, we see the need to do something about hospital debt, salary chimneys, a number of irregularities," said Maria Ochman, stressing that both Solidarity and other social partners are ready to hold difficult talks and seek solutions together with the government side, but for now the problem is that the government side is not putting any proposals on the table. At least on the table where members of the Trilateral Team sit, because, for example, issues concerning hospital consolidation are discussed by the Health Minister and her colleagues at conferences attended by hospital directors and local governments (primarily counties).

Representatives of the social side pointed out the circumstances under which they are demanding a fair dialogue. Despite the fact that the end of the year is approaching, the NFZ financial plan for 2025 is still not approved. - I don't remember such a situation. The meetings held so far have not allowed us to find out. Hospital directors do not know how to plan their budgets," said Michal Modro of the BCC.

Maria Ochman added that as of January 2025, a new minimum wage comes into effect, it is still unclear what to do with the minimum wage law. - When we talk about something, we would like to know the drafts in order to prepare for their procedure in the Parliament, we want to participate in this. That's why the parties are calling for dialogue. This is a value in itself, a guarantee of social peace, that is, dialogue at the table and not on the street. Meanwhile, we are currently learning about important issues from the media.

In a position signed on Tuesday, addressed to the government party, representatives of nine employer organizations and trade union headquarters stress that changes made in draft legislation of significant importance to the health care system, patients, employees and employers, must be adopted in accordance with the principles of social dialogue, in cooperation between the government and social partners. The position was signed by representatives of the Business Center Club, the Federation of Polish Entrepreneurs, the Trade Union Forum, the Lewiatan Confederation, the Employers of Poland, the All-Poland Alliance of Trade Unions, the Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers, the NSZZ "Solidarity" and the Polish Craft Association.