Autonomous dialogue at national level shall be conducted between employers’ organisations and trade unions representative at national level. It is a form of bilateral dialogue that takes place in the least formalised way, without any interference from the public authority. Before 2004, basically in Poland not practiced.

The impetus for the development of autonomous dialogue has been the Polish to join the European Union. The main Polish social partner organizations: NSZZ „Solidarność”, OPZZ, The Polish Confederation of Private Employers „Lewiatan”, the Confederation of Polish Employers and the Association of Polish Crafts, participating in the European social dialogue are obliged to ensure the implementation of its results at national level. This applies to m.in of the so-called European autonomous agreements, for which the social partners themselves are responsible.

In 2005, the first such negotiations on the regulation of teleworking rules were initiated. They resulted in the signing of an agreement, which was then used as a starting point for amendments to the Labour Code, which were accepted by the Tripartite Commission on Social and Economic Affairs.

In 2008, the social partners signed a joint declaration on tackling work-related stress.

The autonomous dialogue also reports jointly on the implementation of the European framework for actions relating, for example, to the dissemination of lifelong learning or the promotion of gender equality in the working environment.

Attempts are also being made to negotiate bilaterally within the Tripartite Committee on Social and Economic Affairs with a view to reaching a common position on the government’s proposals. In 2005, there were such arrangements for a draft law on informing and consulting employees. On the other hand, a so-called anti-crisis package was negotiated in 2009. In both cases, however, the results of the agreements concluded were subsequently called into question, which called into question the future of this form of dialogue with regard to legislative acts.

Source: https://www.solidarnosc.org.pl/dialog-dwustronny/dialog-autonomiczny