The BARMETAL project aims to analyse the current situation and possibilities for strengthening collective bargaining in the metalworking industry in the context of technological change, in particular digitalisation, automation and decarbonisation (D-A-D).
Given that metal sub-sectors such as automotive and steel are particularly exposed to D-A-D challenges, albeit in different contexts, it was assumed that at least the beginnings of a real bipartite dialogue on these issues could be found. The Polish case studies concerned the steel industry (ArcelorMittal) and the automotive industry (Toyota Manufacturing Poland). However, the case studies allow for a more general thesis.
In view of the general collapse of sectoral social dialogue and collective bargaining in Poland, it was not to be expected that the situation would be any different with regard to D-A-D in the sub-sectors under study.
This pessimistic view was confirmed.
Both sub-sectors are dominated by the presence of transnational corporations. In the case of metallurgy, it is the global conglomerate ArcelorMittal. In the case of automotive, Poland is home to subsidiaries of almost all important global manufacturers: Volkswagen, Stellantis, Toyota, Mercedes, Volvo and their subcontractors. For a detailed analysis of the D-A-D situation, 2 companies were selected: ArcelorMittal Poland and Toyota Manufacturing Poland. In both cases, no attempts at collective bargaining were identified concerning D-A-D. Even consultation processes were not observed on the issue. It seems that the situation encountered can be diagnosed as follows:
• D-A-D decisions are perceived by employers as strategic business decisions about which trade unions can be informed but explicitly not negotiated;
• the individual consequences of D-A-D decisions can affect working conditions (and wages) and only these consequences can be the object of negotiation processes (which, in the observed practice, amounts to negotiating severance pay and other forms of support for dismissed employees - it should be stressed, however, that the scale of dismissals resulting from decisions attributable to the implementation of D-A-D is so far small);
• in the cases analysed, the strategic decisions to implement D-A-D have not yet been taken and therefore it is not yet possible to talk about and impact on working conditions (or to negotiate the consequences of their impact on working conditions).
In general, with regard to decarbonisation, there was a resounding voice among all respondents (trade union representatives and, to a lesser extent, employers) indicating a strong frustration with the EU's attempts to implement certain climate policies when these are (in the respondents' view) not being undertaken by the US, China or India. It is not the purpose of this paper to assess the validity of such a view - but it would seem that, at least for rank-and-file trade unionists, it creates a widespread state of confusion about the rationality and wisdom of the policies being pursued at EU level - so that a better information policy would be needed to remove from the EU the odium of a 'crazy' entity heading towards a total loss of competitiveness compared to other regions of the world.
The Barmetal project materials can be found- https://celsi.sk/en/barmetal/
