The Prospects for Labor Law Reform in Poland

A complex combination of socioeconomic factors have produced a situation in Poland in the mid-1980s which is in urgent need of reform. This need for change extends to the complicated and controversial subject of labor law. It is the purpose of this Perspective to set forth the current status of labor law in Poland and to analyze the prospects for possible reform. There are currently three approaches to labor law reform in Poland. The first is held by the government, the second by labor law scientists, and the third by the trade unions created after 1982. These approaches include wide-ranging opinions on the current trends of labor law reform, its substance, the timing of its introduction, and the stages by which it will be performed. The reason for such variety is that each approach to reform is grounded on different understandings of social needs and of their priority. Moreover, each approach is based upon a different assessment of the value and efficacy of existing Polish labor law and the pertinence of different methods of regulation