On May the 30th, Anna was not let to her workplace located in the duty free zone at the Warsaw Fryderyk Chopin Airport as her pass was cancelled by the employer. She has not been informed about the reason of the cancellation and, against her will, she was not able to work.

Management has also ignored a demand of the union to hand a copy of current legal labour regulations of the company (such as: rules of the workplace, salaries and social fund). In the dismissal, employer questioned the legal status of workplace union (without giving any reasons supporting his doubts). Workers were also encouraged to dissolve the union organisation.

Aelia Poland runs a range of duty-free shops at airports selling newspapers, duty-free products (perfumes, cosmetics, alcohol etc.) and offering airport services. In Poland, the company runs shops at 7 airports. Globally, Aelia runs shops at more than 10 airports in France, 5 airports in Spain, in China, Australia and elsewhere. (http://www.aelia.com/xwiki/bin/view/Groupe/Implantations) Aelia belongs to Lagardere Services group, one of the international leaders in the travel retail market. Lagardere is present in more than 20 countries around the world.(http://www.lagardere.com/group/worldwide-presence-319.html)

At F. Chopin airport in Warsaw, about 20% of the workforce of Aelia Poland have joined the union. They are consultants, sales personnel, shop assistants and cashiers, most of them women. They demand: providing seats for workers at their stands, introducing work regulations and procedures to treat workers with diginity and respect, informing workers in advance about changes in the work scheadule, providing protective work clothing to all workers, informing workers about social fund distribution and changing the social fund regulations.

To protest against the unfair dismissal, illegal practices, bullying and the union-busting treatment workers have received by Aelia Polska, we call for international campaign and solidarity actions. Inicjatywa Pracownicza is going to organize protests in shops and offices of Aelia in Poland. Aelia and Lagardere Services group operates at 140 airports around the world. If possible, organize solidarity protests at Aelia and/or Lagardere Services at your local airport.

We also ask to send a letter of protest to the managing director of the company with demands to: reinstatement of Anna; stop all repression against the unionized workers at the Aelia Poland; and stop illegal practices, bullying and the union-busting treatment by Aelia Poland. Please, send a copy of the letter to Ten adres pocztowy jest chroniony przed spamowaniem. Aby go zobaczyć, konieczne jest włączenie w przeglądarce obsługi JavaScript..

Lagardere Services
Frédéric Renault
Executive Vice President
LAGARDERE SERVICES CORPORATE
2, rue Lord Byron - 75008 Paris - France
Phone: (33) 1 42 99 07 00
Fax: (33) 1 42 99 07 07
Ten adres pocztowy jest chroniony przed spamowaniem. Aby go zobaczyć, konieczne jest włączenie w przeglądarce obsługi JavaScript.

Aelia France
Fabrice Berbessou
Executive Vicepresident
Aelia
Tour Prisma
4-6 avenue d'Alsace
92982 Paris La Défense Cedex
France

Aelia Polska
Andrzej Milaszewicz
Managing Director
Al. Jerozolimskie 174
02-486 Warsaw, Poland
T: 0048 22 572 31 87
e-mail: Ten adres pocztowy jest chroniony przed spamowaniem. Aby go zobaczyć, konieczne jest włączenie w przeglądarce obsługi JavaScript.