Dziemianowicz-Bąk stressed that the focus is on protecting workers, particularly vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, who are often employed on temporary civil-law contracts and can be dismissed with little notice.
“We are talking about a pathology that affects the Polish labour market,” she said on Wednesday, adding that her ministry aims to develop an effective tool to combat these abuses.
The scrapped PIP reform, part of Poland’s National Recovery Plan, would have allowed regional labour inspectors to convert civil-law contracts - including freelance and B2B arrangements - into standard employment contracts when workers were being misclassified.
The legislation also included measures to modernise inspections, streamline data sharing between government agencies, and increase penalties for labour violations.
While the reform had support from trade unions, it faced opposition from businesses and criticism from the Government Legislation Centre, which argued that some provisions could violate constitutional freedoms, such as the right to conduct business and choose employment.
Prime Minister Tusk concluded that granting inspectors excessive authority could harm companies and lead to job losses, ultimately halting the reform.
Dziemianowicz-Bąk confirmed that talks with coalition partners are ongoing to find alternative solutions.
“The goal remains the same: to ensure real protection for employees and to prevent systemic abuse of civil-law contracts,” she said, highlighting that the ministry is committed to balancing worker protections with the practical realities of Poland’s labour market.
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Source: PAP