The German car manufacturer has a huge plant in Poznan, Poland, where our comrade was employed. He was sacked for refusing to make up the time he was on medical leave. Apparently, internal VW regulations demand it, even though it is contrary to national law, and it goes against workers’ rights.
Indeed, workers are entitled to justified leave of absence for a number of reasons. Illness is one of them. Of course, bosses would prefer that we were like the robots in the plant and never take days off or call in sick. Or at least that we made this time up, allowing companies to basically get away with not paying it. But that’s not the way it goes. Not only is this protection enshrined in most labor laws, it is a basic tenet of workers’ rights and something worth fighting for!
However, our comrade didn’t go quietly. With the help and solidarity of IP, he fought back. And won. You can read all the details of the case in the following link (in Polish):
Nokaut! Maciej Kopczyk kontra Volkswagen Poznań
So, next time you have to phone in sick be aware that your bosses can’t ask you to make up the time. If they do, get in touch with your local anarcho-syndicalist union to get other workers to support you and fight back. There are links to our national branches below in the web. Or rather, do not wait until then and join the union now! Start sharing the solidarity, start defending your rights.
