Samorządowe uprawnienia pracowników przedsiębiorstwa państwowego w Polsce

Abstract

The idea of self-government of employees has no definite contents in the Polish legal doctrine. However, it is generally referred to the rights of the staff as regards management of the enterprise and deciding personnel matters. The range of the rights determines the self-government’s share in the system of management of the national economy and the degree of democratization of work-place relations. The legal basis for a participation of employees in managing the enterprise was first established by the decree of 6 February 1945 on formation of trade-union committees. However, later on, due to growing centralization of national economy management m the period of the 6-years plan (1950-1955) the participation of committees in managing the enterprise became reduced. First the statute on workers’ councils of 1956 established a legal basis for a wider participation of employees in managing enterprises. Due to its scope the participation approached the model of full workers’ co-management. The new conception of workers’ co-management was expressed by the statute of 1958. That statute was a step back in the development of the idea of workers’ co-management in Poland. The essential cause of gradual decline of workers’ co-management was its domination by the party and trade-union officiais. A new stage in the development of self-government legislation was begun after the great workers’ protest in August 1980. The statute of September 1981 on self-government of the staff of state enterprise is a result of social compromise and a successive attempt to overcome the socio-economic crisis by means of democratization of work-place relations. The range and character of competence, as regards managing the enterprise, granted to the staff by the statute of September 1981 is more far-reaching than the previous statute. The participation model prevails in the statute, although along with that there are elements characteristic for a full co-management in the form of the staffs right of taking decisions. Particularly important is voting production plans by the staff and extended influence of the staff on appointing a managing director of the enterprise. The present form of employees’ self-government in Poland is a successive stage of evolution in which periods of broader rights of the staff in management alternate with periods of their limitation. That process is closely connected with changes in political and economic structure. Aspirations to self-government manifested by workers are a reason why further improvement of self-government for democratization of social relations cannot be abandoned.