About NSZZ “Solidarność”

About us

The Independent and Self-Governing Trade Union “Solidarność” is the largest trade union in Poland with wide-ranging expertise. It was founded as a result of worker protests and established on the basis of the Gdańsk Accords signed on 31st August 1980 by the Inter-Enterprise Strike Committee and the Government Commission.

The objective of the Union is to defend the dignity, rights and labour interests of Union members including safeguarding employees’ rights concerning their work, remuneration, social and living conditions and occupational health and safety, providing conditions for workers to improve their qualifications, protecting the health, material, social and cultural interests of the Union’s members and their families, taking action in the spirit of social dialogue, influencing the shape of economic and social policy, promoting democratic principles, strengthening the family and protecting family life, etc. Our activities are based on Christian values and social teaching of the Catholic Church.

Another important task of the Union is the cooperation with international organisations in order to defend workers’ interests and respect for human rights. This task of international solidarity is carried out by NSZZ “Solidarność” through its affiliation in the main European and global trade union organisations and networks, including European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). Members of NSZZ “Solidarność” participate also in the work of the European Economic and Social Committee.

In recent times, the Union’s work at the international level has focused on areas such as social policy, climate and energy policy, EU Eastern policy, economic governance, democracy at the workplace. Due to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, we were also involved in a number of solidarity actions carried out as part of international cooperation in support of Ukraine. Recently we are also active in raising awareness and providing any help possible to trade unionists in and from Belarus.

More on NSZZ “Solidarność” in the presentation.