The management board and unions of JSW are laughing their asses off. Media silence until further notice

The management board of Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa and representative trade unions will not comment on their course or on speculations appearing in public space until the talks are completed – reads the statement published on Friday.

As it was written, “this decision results from responsibility for the company's future, its financial stability and job protection.”

It is in the interest of all parties to create conditions conducive to calm, substantive dialogue – emphasized the management board and trade unionists. At the same time, it was added that “after the conclusion of the negotiations, the parties will provide the public with full and reliable information on their results.”

On Friday, the unions confirmed their return to talks. As written on the Facebook profile of the Solidarity trade union, their subject is the draft agreement that has been worked on in recent weeks. “The social side further declares that the agreement being negotiated cannot be achieved solely at the expense of JSW employees,” Solidarity warned.

On Tuesday, talks between the management board and the unions were suspended, among others. after trade unionists brought their own draft agreement. On Wednesday, the company's management stated that they were ready to talk about the draft agreement currently being processed.

The draft agreement on the temporary limitation of employee benefits, which would allow JSW to reduce costs, was presented to the social media by the company's management board at the end of December 2025. Unions have so far opposed it – despite the prolonged deep economic downturn and the resulting long-term decline in the company's revenues.

After the talks were suspended, the JSW management board emphasized in a statement that “it is necessary to return to the negotiation table based on the previous negotiation achievements and with respect for the effort that both parties have put into the previous arrangements.” Therefore, invitations to the next meeting were sent to representative trade unions.

On Monday and Tuesday, talks were held at the JSW headquarters on the basis of the draft agreement presented by the management board with the participation of the Deputy Minister of State Assets, Grzegorz Wrona (the State Treasury owns 55.16% of the company's shares).

On Tuesday afternoon, JSW announced that the management board had suspended talks with the social side, which had significantly changed its negotiating position. The unions, in turn, declared that they had entered Tuesday's talks with their own draft agreement, but the management refused to discuss it and, as a result, the meeting was interrupted.

The draft agreement regarding the temporary limitation of employee benefits includes, among others: suspension of guarantees from the agreement of March 31, 2021 regarding working conditions (among others, 10-year employment and remuneration guarantees were agreed at that time).

The JSW Management Board emphasizes that in the company's crisis situation, concluding an agreement is a key condition for obtaining financing from state and private financial institutions.

According to trade unionists, the draft agreement means three years of reducing employees' incomes, weakening their protection and limiting benefits. Unions have calculated that the cuts in employee benefits expected by the management would amount to almost PLN 8 billion over three years.

The project included, among others: complete suspension of the 14th salary in the years 2025-2027, payment of the St. Barbara's Day award for 2026 limited to a maximum of 30%. and its absence in the years 2027-2028, as well as the entire suspension in the years 2026-2028 of: coal allowance, health and safety bonuses and allowances, tickets from the Miner's Card and more favorable rules for sickness and leave benefits.

The JSW Capital Group is a joint-stock company, the largest producer of high-quality coking coal in the EU and one of the leading producers of coke used to melt steel. The core business of the JSW group is the production and sale of coking coal as well as the production and sale of coke and carbon derivatives. JSW mines in four mines: Borynia-Zofiówka, Budryk, Knurów-Szczygłowice and Pniówek. The company is listed on the Stock Exchange.

JSW had a cumulative net loss of PLN 2.9 billion after three quarters of 2025. Sales revenues amounted to PLN 7 billion, and the EBITDA result was minus PLN 1.4 billion. In the third quarter alone, JSW generated PLN 2.3 billion in sales revenues, with a gross loss on sales of PLN 524 million. EBITDA excluding one-off events amounted to minus PLN 485 million, and the net loss was PLN 794 million. (PAP)

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