On October 15, 2025, in front of the headquarters of the Ministry of Infrastructure in Warsaw, the Railway Infrastructure section of NSZZ “Solidarność” organized a protest picket against the planned merger of six railway regional infrastructure management units and in defense of thousands of jobs threatened by the upcoming reorganization of PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. (PLK).
The protest was a strong and united response from railway workers to the planned “integration” that is to take effect on January 1, 2026. This so-called restructuring, in practice, threatens the liquidation of local railway maintenance branches, could cause job losses, and a decline in the safety and efficiency of Poland’s railway network. Trade unions have been excluded from the decisions around this restructuring.
The picket has gathered more than 500 railway workers, representing various branches, plants, and working environments, stood together in solidarity to defend the welfare of employees and job security.
The protest was supported not only by the members of NSZZ “Solidarność”, but also by representatives of the four largest trade unions operating within PLK, as well as by numerous local communities and political groups who recognize the strategic importance of maintaining a strong, safe, and well-managed railway infrastructure.
A petition was formally submitted to Piotr Malepszak, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Infrastructure, who received it personally. The text includes key demands that reflect the needs of railway employees across the country.
The Main Demands:
1️⃣ Immediate halt to the elimination (“integration”) of railway infrastructure management units 2️⃣ Job protection and employment stability. 3️⃣ Ensuring the safety and operational efficiency of railway infrastructure. 4️⃣ Real, not symbolic, consultations with trade unions. 5️⃣ Full respect for labor and trade union rights. 6️⃣ Inclusion of workers’ representatives in the PLK Supervisory Board. 7️⃣ An end to the so-called “retirement wave” in the Railway Protection Service. This practice opens the way for appointing former uniformed service officers to managerial positions instead of promoting active railway staff. 8️⃣ Transfer of properties from PKP S.A. to PLK, including the buildings housing railway plants and other organizational units (CRI, CZRK), in accordance with the Act of September 8, 2000 on the commercialization and restructuring of PKP.
The protest coincided with a meeting of the Parliamentary Subcommittee on Infrastructure, attended by Members of Parliament, PLK representatives, and trade union members from the affected plants in Częstochowa, Nowy Sącz, Ostrów Wielkopolski, Siedlce, Skarżysko-Kamienna, and Wałbrzych, providing another opportunity for workers’ voices to be heard directly in the parliamentary debate.