S01E21 - Poland Decoded

Welcome to the Wild Side, a podcast that discusses the world of modern employee relations ten minutes at a time. This podcast is a country profile of Poland, using Poland as a broader proxy for much of Eastern and Central Europe. In this episode, host Alan Wild offers insights on Poland’s trade unions and growing economy. Alan is the Global Affairs Director of the HR Policy Association, the leading voice of chief human resources offices today.

Poland is the largest of the Central and Eastern European countries in the European Union. It has a population of 38.5 million people and a working population of 17.6 million. Poland's manufacturing sector is very competitive on a world scale. Large modern industrial sites have been born after the acquisition of old, state-owned companies and highly incentivized foreign direct investment from the US and Western Europe. Outside of manufacturing Poland continues to build a substantial IT sector around its capital city, Warsaw. Economically, Poland suffered more than most after 1990 yet has since recovered more spectacularly. Let’s look at the likely factors that led to Poland to have the largest economy in its region. 

Key Takeaways:

• A brief history of Poland. [4:07]
• Poland’s economic success is due to the flexibility and productivity of its employees. [5:55]
• When trade unions have the support of a high membership they are strong and influential. [6:42]
• Establishing a new trade union is simple but is it cause for concern? [7:30]
• Poland’s three major Trade Union Federations. [9:39]
• The polish system of restructuring is straightforward. [10:33] 
• Summary for Employee Relations Specialists serving Eastern and Central Europe. [11:36]