BUSINESS IN POLAND

Thanks to the freedoms of initiative and commerce and thanks to the foundations of democracy and economy determined after 1989 – Poland is today a country of economic growth. Entry into the European Union has opened up new possibilities for the whole of society. However, neither the market nor membership of the Union, are not magical means of achieving prosperity, justice and alleviating inequality of opportunity.

We are still beset by high unemployment and large groups in society are threatened by exclusion. Only half of adult Poles are in work. Young people, who are educating themselves avidly, are seeking a better life beyond the country’s borders, concerned by the lack of prospects in Poland.

We are business people – but we do not regard commerce as an end in itself. We are announcing the SOCIAL DECLARATION in the certainty that systemic solutions directed at achieving a balanced development are particularly important for current and future generations of Poles: the linking of economic growth to increasing levels of employment as well as the inclusion of all citizens within the social fabric, without any discrimination or exception.

We believe that the necessary conditions for Poland’s further development are:

• an effective state, which concentrates on those objectives which cannot be fulfilled by citizens alone, nor by its organisations nor by local government; governed decently and proficiently, establishing good laws and ensuring that they are observed, and encouraging the trust and cooperation of all its citizens
• a free economy, built on principles of fair competition, promoting initiative and innovation, open to the challenges of European integration and globalisation, stimulating growth in employment and in effect creating wealth, security and social cohesion.
• a civil society, based on mutual solidarity; which helps develop citizens’ individual life-skills, their responsibility for their families, their local communities and the state; which also helps the weakest; and which is open and promotes mutual goodwill without regard to individual belief, social status, or means.

We are business people who are not only concerned with securing profits and reducing the barriers to our firms’ development. We also understand that the quality of life of every individual and his wealth have a direct effect on our companies’ successes and influence the condition of the economy as a whole. Therefore, we are convinced that:

• it is most important that the right conditions are set up in the market for the creation of new jobs, so that the numbers of the unemployed, those with a negative attitude to work and those excluded should become as small as possible.

• the key lies in creating a work environment, in which employers and employees respect the law and are loyal to each other, in which men and women have equal opportunities for development and advancement, in which investment is made in employees professional skills, in which remuneration is related to ability and effectiveness, and in which conditions are created enabling a balance between working and private life.

• business social responsibility must be developed, so that bonds may be formed between companies, their employees and the surrounding communities.

Business and social solidarity do not have to be mutually exclusive. We wish to achieve, through social dialogue, a social model which will give Poles a prospect of a better quality of life. This is how we understand our mission as citizens.

The Polish Confederation of Private Employers Lewiatan
Warsaw, 12 July 2006