The teachers’ strike is almost certain. If the talks between trade unions and the government on Sunday fail to reach an agreement, teachers will start an indefinite strike on Monday. In Warsaw alone, it will affect almost 209 thousand. children and pupils, therefore, their parents and employers, will actually affect everyone. Moreover, the protest action may disrupt the exams of middle school, eighth and high school graduates.
Teachers’ strike
In the town halls of many cities, the last preparations for this crisis situation are underway. And I have to admit that in most cities, parents will be really effectively supported in this difficult situation.
What are local governments planning?
Łódź, Kraków, Warsaw – these cities have already presented an alternative plan for the time teachers are absent from their workplaces – with their children. All municipal institutions that could provide care for children were put on standby. It goes, among others for cultural or sports institutions, employees with pedagogical education and retired teachers were engaged to help.
In the case of Warsaw, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the special search engine for classes offered by the Education Office: www.edukacja.warszawa.pl. Classes will be organized for them by the Warsaw School of Economics, Warsaw University, Polin Museum, zoo.
Presidents of many cities allow city officials to come to work with their children on April 8, which is the case in Wrocław, Bydgoszcz, Łódź, Sosnowiec, Warsaw and Lublin, among others. However, there are also black sheep, like the Metropolis of Upper Silesia and Zagłębie. Employees of the Metropolitan Office who have school-age children may only take advantage of the possibilities provided for in the Act on care allowances and in the Labor Code.
We will all feel the teachers’ strike
The teachers’ strike will have a huge impact on all of us, and it is wrong to say that it will only affect parents of school and pre-school children. A simple everyday example: How to get to work in Warsaw on April 8? After all, many of us ride trams, and over 30 percent. tram drivers of the Warsaw Trams have children from 2 to 8 years old. It is 436 people out of a total of 1,377 driving trams in the capital. If the tram drivers and tram drivers did not have the support of the employer and had to stay at home with their children during the strike, the city would literally be paralyzed! Being aware of this situation, the Warsaw Trams have been informing about possible obstacles since Thursday because a teachers’ strike is possible. However, the municipal company is trying to deal with the crisis and on April 8 and 9 is organizing four educational points for employees’ children. MPK Poznań also deserves praise.
Paragraph 3 point 3
However, despite the strenuous efforts of officials, we must remember that not all parents will be able to benefit from alternative care for their children. The younger ones: in preschool and early school age, are too small to put them in the hands of temporary caregivers, not necessarily with the appropriate competences to care for young children. Parents can use several solutions: annual leave, unpaid leave or 2 days off for a child under 14 years of age. However, these solutions require the consent of employers and prior planning. In the situation we are dealing with, it is possible to use the right, which is provided for in the Regulation of the Minister of Labor and Social Policy of May 15, 1996, which in par. 3 point 3 states:
in the event of circumstances justifying the need for an employee to provide personal care for a healthy child under 8 due to unforeseen closure of a nursery, children’s club, kindergarten or school attended by the child;
The employer must be informed about such absence at the latest on the second day when we are not at work. For the time of caring for a child, the child is entitled to a carer’s allowance in the amount of 80% of the basis, which is regulated by art. 32 sec. 1 point 1 of the Act of June 25, 1999, the Act on cash benefits from social insurance in the event of sickness and maternity.
What about employers?
Law is a law, but such solutions must also be favored by the “climate” at work. In order for parents to use the above solution without fear and doubts, especially since no one knows how long the teachers’ strike will last, a clear position of the employer is necessary. Therefore, as part of our #testNAprotest campaign, we asked companies – those that report their parent support practices to the “Responsible Business in Poland” report and those that are awarded the Great Place to Work and Top Employers Poland titles how they will treat the exemptions for childcare.
What do you think their reactions were? Some have made it clear that they are supporting their staff during the teachers’ strike. Others also indicated other solutions (e.g. the possibility of working from home or bringing the child to work). Others, however, did not answer our question or simply avoided the answer. Most of the answers can be found on our FB under the post, the rest can be found here: LIDL, AVON, Bank BGK, ArcelorMittal, eurobank, ING Bank Śląski
The University of Lodz is also preparing to help parents and children, which effectively spreads an appeal from the Rector of the University of Lodz to all heads of administrative units, so that – to put it simply – they make life easier for employees in this difficult period.
