“Polish Post “is in a state of clinical death” – these are the words of its president, Sebastian Mikosz. The company ended last year with a loss of PLN 620 million. That is why Poczta Polska is undergoing transformation. The first of its two stages is in progress. “Fakt” learned that as part of the savings, Poczta Polska will not pays social security contributions on an ongoing basis ZUS-at.
Poczta Polska submitted an application to ZUS to pay contributions in installments
– We are all in shock. I have been working at the post office for over 20 years and such a situation has never happened – he complained in an interview with “Fact” Piotr Saugut, chairman of the trade union of NSZZ Postmen of the Polish Post. – For July, the account balance is zero, for August the contribution was paid in a much lower amount. It looks very bad – he adds. Employees are even more outraged because they found out about it by accident when accessing the website. account at ZUS. No one informed them that contributions were temporarily suspended.
“Fakt” received from offices press release of Poczta Polska justification for such a decision. “Due to the adoption in March this year of the Financial Liquidity Stabilization Plan for 2024, the Management Board of Poczta Polska decided to submit a Social Insurance Institution in August this year application for the payment of part of the insurance premiums for July and several subsequent months of this year into installments. Due to the above, from August this year contributions are reduced by the amount requested for extension,” we read in the response.
The application submitted by Poczta Polska is currently being considered by ZUS. The contributions are to be transferred in full to employees' accounts, but according to a “new schedule”. Postponing the transfers should not affect benefits paid by ZUS.
Dr. Monika Gładoch, a lawyer specializing in labor law, in an interview with “Fakt” believes that suspending the payment of contributions is a “serious violation of the employer's basic obligations.” – If it concerns a large group of employees, it may be treated not only as a misdemeanor, but also as an offense against the employee's rights. Penal provisions come into play, he explains.
The transformation of Poczta Polska is painful. Workers will be hit hard
A drowning man grasps at straws – according to this principle, Poczta Polska is trying to get out of its hopeless financial situation. The results for the first half of this year are also disastrous. The loss has already reached PLN 315 million. Postponing the deadlines for paying contributions is just one of many desperate moves by the company.
The transformation plan of Poczta Polska assumes, among other things, employment reduction. An employee assessment will be carried out and, on this basis, selected people will receive offers under the voluntary departure program. It will cover approximately 9,000 people. Departing employees will receive 12 times their monthly salary remunerationand the program is to cost PLN 600 million. Kacper Kolibabski wrote more about changes in the company.