Demographic policy, mainly based on the traditional model of family, marriage or an extended break from professional activity in connection with childcare, does not take into account the current social conditions – believes the Lewiatan Confederation.

A significant increase in the number of births and people of working age is impossible without a migration policy limiting Poles leaving abroad and encouraging migrants to settle in our country.

In the draft of the Demographic Strategy 2040 prepared by the government, the omission of the issue of migration (both to and from Poland, but also inside the country), morbidity and mortality (in particular excessive mortality of men) or health of the population, makes it a de facto not a demographic strategy, but an increase in fertility .

– The goals set out in the Strategy, aimed at rebuilding a large family, based solely on a formally concluded relationship with (at least temporarily) one breadwinner, differ from the contemporary trends observed in Polish society – says Monika Fedorczuk, labor market expert of the Lewiatan Confederation.

In the opinion of the Lewiatan Confederation, the document is of a very general nature. It does not indicate specific proposals for solutions, including legislative ones, so it is difficult to refer to the possibility of their application and potential consequences. Employers are particularly interested in changes in the labor market and labor law. But here too, the strategy is very general.

– The demographic strategy should take into account the announced reforms of the functioning of the market, aimed at easier access to better jobs, accompanied by improved access to housing, public health and care services. Excessive protection of employees will be counterproductive, warns Monika Fedorczuk.

According to Lewiatan, solutions in the field of employment flexibility, such as remote work, flexible working time, are already subject to regulations in the Labor Code or the changes being processed (e.g. flexible working time schedule or the right to reduce the working time). The key question is how the government intends to encourage parents to make greater use of reduced working hours.

Flexible working hours will be applicable in the case of office work. On the other hand, employment in the form of part-time work, remote work, individual work schedule is difficult to apply in production, trade or industry.

Lewiatan negatively assesses ideas about job stability. There are no grounds for further extending the cases of special protection or limiting the use of fixed-term contracts. Meanwhile, the government proposes that for workers under 40 it would be possible to conclude a maximum of two fixed-term and 15-month contracts. He also wants to introduce additional protection against dismissal (including, in particular, the differentiation of the situation of parents / fathers who have children in marriage and outside of them). The proposed changes would entail special protection for another several hundred thousand employees.

– We regret that the demographic strategy has not been consulted with social partners and that the Social Dialogue Council and the Labor Market Council have not discussed it – points out Monika Fedorczuk.

Source: http://konfederacjalewiatan.pl/aktualnosci/2021/2/strategia_demograficzna_24_malo_konkretna

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