Historical sketch of Polish Seafarers' Union (PSU)
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The initiative of establishing Polish Seafarers' Union (PSU) was taken by a foundation
group of 89 people at the meeting held in Szczecin on the 11th of December 1990. As a result, on the 18th of January 1991
Polish Seafarers' Union was registered as an independent and autonomous trade union by the Court in Warsaw.
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| I Congress of PSU Founders-Members took place at Gdynia Maritime Academy on the 13th of December
1991. At the Congress the Programme Declaration of the Union was issued and the first management was elected: |
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PSU:
- Blus Marek
- Bruch Krzysztof
- Brzeski Henryk
- Bujas Michał
- Depka Zbigniew
- Felski Zbyszko
- Florczak Wojciech
- Jastrzebski Jacek
- Kolacinski Longin
- Kozlowski Marek
- Krumholc Mieczyslaw
- Kuzajczyk Zdzisław
- Markowski Antoni
- Olechnowicz Franciszek
- Pachowicz Szczepan
- Pagudis Joanis
- Piekut Zdzislaw
- Poniatowski Henryk
- Pustowka Ryszard
- Rzanny Zdzislaw
- Skoluba Jaroslaw +
- Szczecinski Krzysztof
- Wierzejewski Wawrzyniec
- Wiszniowski Henryk
- Wojcik Andrzej
- Zasada Boleslaw
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PRESIDIUM OF NATIONAL COUNCIL
- Wojcik Andrzej - President
- Wiszniowski Henryk - Vice President
- Kolacinski Longin - Secretary
AUDIT BOARD:
- Jasinski Waldemar - President
- Bojarzyniec Andrzej
- Brzostowski Jerzy
- Ciesla Edward
- Wojcik Witold
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Participants of the I Congress defined the main objectives of the Union activity:
- to protect seafarers and fishermen's rights and interests,
- to fight for decent employment conditions, including wages and social benefits,
- to secure jobs and to liquidate unemployment,
- to monitor the observance of the law and union rights by employers,
- to support democratic changes of the political system.
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The union headquarters are located in Gdynia. The first office of PSU was set up at 1 Weglowa Street in Gdynia.
As time was passing by, regional structures of the Union started to be created. In towns of shipping and fishing
enterprises PSU Representation Units and Regional Inspectorates were formed.
In 1992 the first Branch Office of PSU was established in Szczecin and on the 28th of June PSU moved to a new
head office at Plac Kaszubski in Gdynia. At present, PSU has three Branch Offices and seven
Representations and Inspectorates in Gdynia, Szczecin and Swinoujście. |
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At the end of 1991 Polish Seafarers' Union started negotiations on functioning of collective bargaining agreements
for Polish seafarers serving on vessels flying Polish and foreign flags. The negotiations led PSU to signing the
first Collective Bargaining Agreement in 1992.
Up to present we have signed several collective bargaining agreements for ships flying Flags of Convenience (FOCs)
and of foreign national registers. Our CBAs determine employment conditions for a few thousand Polish seafarers
serving on various ships around the world. |
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The Union has engaged into the activity of global and European structures of transport workers' labour movement.
On the 1st of October 1993 Polish Seafarers' Union was affiliated with the ITF - International
Transport Workers' Federation. We are Founders-Members of the ETF - European Transport Workers' Federation
which was established in Brussels on the 15th of June 1999.
We take an active part in the annual ITF Week of Action, ITF and ETF Congresses and other events concerning seafarers' life.
Together with the National Maritime Section NSZZ "Solidarnosc" and Seafarers' and Fishermen's Trade Unions' Federation
we form Polish Coordinative Committee of ITF Affiliates trying to solve Polish seafarers' problems.
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Polish Seafarers' Union is one of the founders of the Joint Commission which was set up on the 16th of
January 2001. After changes of the political system in Poland the Commission started a social dialogue within the shipping
sector - as the form of solving problems of our community. At present we are a member of the Tripartite Panel for Shipping
and Fishing. We are engaged in work of Parliament Commissions, among others, in the Commission of Infrastructure and the
Shipping Sub-Commission dealing with problems of "men of the sea". Our Union takes an active part in activities of the
Legal Committee of Polish Center for IMO (International Maritime Organization).
From the beginning the Union has been engaged in providing research and information services to Polish seafarers. The first
Union publication appeared in January 1992 and in July 1993 a colourful union bulletin "Azymut-alfa"
started to be published. It presents most important facts from union life and other issues affecting seafarers' life.
Through the Foundation NAUTICA, established by PSU on the 23rd of May 2000, our Union fulfills its social, welfare and
educational goals. One of the biggest achievements of the Foundation is publishing the Album dedicated to Polish sea rescuers
in 2003.
We also offer our members possibilities of relax and recreation. Every year PSU's Offices in Gdynia, Szczecin and Swinoujscie
organize open-air Union picnics for seafarers and their families. First events of this kind took place in 1994: on 25th June
in Gdynia and from 23rd to 24th July in Szczecin..
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Up to present four National Congresses of PSU Delegates - the supreme legislative body of the Union
called every four years - took place:
- I Congress of Founders-Members - 13th December 1991
- II Congress of Delegates - 13th February 1996
- III Congress - 25th-26th February 2000(when the name of the Union was changed to the present one)
- IV Congress - 26th-27th March 2004.
- V Congress - 28th March 2008.
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