Starting tomorrow, major changes are taking place at the Pyszne.pl platform. Nearly 5,000 people working as suppliers for this platform will lose the last of their employment rights. Starting tomorrow, they will begin paying tribute to Fleet Partners.
That’s why today we’re publishing our interview with Adam Szafraniec, Chairman of the Inter-Enterprise Trade Union Organization OPZZ Konfederacja Pracy (OPZZ Confederation of Labor), which operates at Pyszne.pl.
We conducted the interview in mid-August.
First, tell us how you found yourself involved with the Trade Union at Pyszne.pl.
Well, let’s start from the beginning. I started working on September 18, 2023, with the Trenkwalder Temporary Employment Agency.
From the very beginning of my employment, I was very involved in the Supplier’s work, diligently performing my duties, but I also pointed out various mistakes to my superiors and intervened if any injustices occurred. At the beginning of my employment, I wasn’t aware that a trade union operated at Pyszne.pl.
After a few months of work, a colleague suggested I consider joining the Trade Union. I didn’t hesitate for long and signed the membership declaration on February 27, 2024.
Months passed with me being very active within the organization.
My next step in the Trade Union Organization was the need to hold elections. I submitted my candidacy and on February 13, 2025, I became Chairman of the Board of the Inter-Enterprise Trade Union Organization. My contract with the Temporary Employment Agency also expired that day.
And how do you generally like working as a delivery driver?
From my perspective, as a delivery driver, it’s a very interesting job. Every day was different, contrary to appearances. You meet new delivery drivers, get a new route, for example, to a client you’ve never been to before, or pick up from a new restaurant. I also enjoy driving, so this was perfect for me. I also feel like this job is underappreciated. I think I’d enjoy it more if there was more job stability.
So, in your opinion, which is worse: working in the heat or working in the cold?
I’m a cold person, so I prefer warmer days, but neither heat nor freezing temperatures are good for this job. In the summer, my car was air-conditioned, which was easier, but in the winter, if there was a lot of snow, I had to cancel my shift several times.
Let’s get back to the Trade Union. You are currently the president of the only union that advocates for people who work as Suppliers.
Yes, there is no other union that brings together only Suppliers. Therefore, as a trade union, we must look far into the future and encourage suppliers employed by various Fleet Partners, for example, to join trade unions.
And why do you think other trade unions aren’t addressing the issue of Suppliers’ employee rights at all? Why isn’t Solidarity doing anything about it? Why isn’t the OPZZ doing anything about it? What do you think is the reason for this? Here, let me slightly correct the question in this section, “Why isn’t the OPZZ doing anything about it?”
Our Inter-Enterprise Organization belongs to the National Employees’ Trade Union, Konfederacja Pracy (Confederation of Labour). We always receive real substantive and legal support from our headquarters. The Union’s headquarters is very involved, especially now, when a large number of supplier layoffs have been announced, for which, as the Chairman, I would like to thank you. You’re asking about Solidarity. Honestly, I’ve never really thought about it; we’ve never asked that organization for help.
The number of people working on platforms, especially delivery platforms, is growing. And trade unions in Poland act as if this doesn’t exist, as if they don’t see it. I haven’t encountered any encouragement from these unions to join them, directed at this professional group. Not even a simple slogan like “Employees, organize yourselves!”
You’re right, the platform labor market is growing, and it’s estimated that employment in this sector will continue to grow. In Poland, we’re probably not yet mature enough to organize into trade unions. There are studies that say Poland is supposedly the least unionized country, and that’s a big mistake.
In our organization, the situation is very difficult; there’s high supplier turnover, but the situation was further exacerbated by the company’s announcement to lay off all 4,490 suppliers and offer them employment with five selected so-called Fleet Partners. This decision by Pyszne.pl is another step towards marginalizing trade unions.
Listen, have any of these large unions addressed this situation in any way? Have they supported you in any way? Have they written to you in any way, adopted any position?
As I answered a similar question earlier, no one has supported us; we only have support from our trade union headquarters.
However, some MPs organized a press conference in the Sejm on our behalf and are trying to help us.
You wrote a letter to the president. The president, as I understand it, hasn’t responded. The current president can hardly be called a pro-worker advocate. So, why did you write to him?
We are writing to every institution and person who can help us and publicize the problem of platform work and the layoffs of thousands of suppliers. The President has the tools to convene broader meetings with interested parties, as he did with the medical community, among others, and he also has the legislative initiative, so the President will be able to do so at the end of the legislative process of the Act on the implementation of the Platform Work Directive.
He made the final statement, so we believe that cooperation between the Trade Union and the President of the Republic of Poland is justified.
I wanted to ask you about the act you mentioned regarding the Directive.
Were you asked for your opinion on it? It was the most logical thing to do, since you are the only union operating in this industry?
Yes, we were asked. We are in the process of finalizing the proposals for the Platform Work Act, and soon readers of the Zentrale portal will also be able to familiarize themselves with our proposals.
Finally, would you like to add something from yourself as Chairman of the Trade Union?
I wanted to appeal to all suppliers to “organize yourselves” and join a trade union. It’s not true that a trade union can’t do anything. Perhaps a lot, because we operate under the Trade Union Act, and companies must take us into account. Thanks to the intervention of the trade union, many issues concerning individual suppliers and others have been resolved and clarified. I want to emphasize that if it weren’t for the actions of the trade union, the situation of suppliers could have been even worse. Many of the issues the union deals with aren’t publicly publicized, but a lot is happening behind the scenes. If you are a supplier, work with a Fleet Partner, want to join, or have questions, please contact: zzpyszne@gmail.com
Thank you for the invitation and the conversation, and best regards to all suppliers.
And also:
THERE ARE 3 MONTHS AND 2 DAYS LEFT FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLATFORM WORK DIRECTIVE.