LABOR MARKET CHALLENGES IN THE PORK VALUE CHAIN IN POLAND

Izabela Buchowicz,Łukasz Sienkiewicz,Hanna Kinowska

doi:10.33119/eeim.2020.55.7

Abstract

The pork value chain is created by a network of interconnected suppliers and customers, offering meat products to final consumers. Pork production and processing in Poland is highly fragmented, which together with an increasing global pressure weakens the engagement of institutional actors in the social dialogue. This makes difficult to combat negative labour market phenomena such as low wages, long working hours, and lack of appropriate contracts. In order to diagnose the specificity of labour market challenges in Poland and possible ways of combating them, structured interviews with key stakeholders were conducted. They confirmed the existence of abusive practices in the local pork industry and the need for strengthening the social dialogue. Conclusions from the research include recommendations for further exploration of the issue.

Highlights

Today the meat industry is changing under the pressure from global competition as well as aggressive retail pressures
The fragmentation of the sector and the challenges of the labour market in Poland result in the lack of systemic solutions enabling social dialogue
The authors formulate a thesis that the weakness of social dialogue has a negative impact on the functioning of the labour market in the changing conditions of the pork value chain in Poland

Summary

Introduction

Today the meat industry is changing under the pressure from global competition as well as aggressive retail pressures. The pork value chain in Poland has undergone many changes. They resulted both from the dynamics of legal conditions as a consequence of Poland’s accession to the European Union, increased international competition, integration processes within the sector and random events (e.g. infectious diseases such as ASF). The fragmentation of the sector and the challenges of the labour market in Poland result in the lack of systemic solutions enabling social dialogue. The authors formulate a thesis that the weakness of social dialogue has a negative impact on the functioning of the labour market in the changing conditions of the pork value chain in Poland. The challenges were examined basing on qualitative research carried out within the framework of the project Fairness, Freedom and Industrial Relations across Europe: up and down the meat value chain (MEAT.UP.FFIRE) VS/2018/0014, European Commission budget heading 04 03 01 08 Industrial relations and social dialogue, VP/2017/004, Improving expertise in the field of industrial relations)

Pork value chain in Poland

Social dialogue as the solution to labour market challenges

Findings

Conclusion