586 employees benefit from the first tranche of one-off severance pay at Polska Grupa Górnicza, according to the company's information. According to PGG, the funds provided by the Ministry of Energy for severance pay are already reaching the first eligible employees.
PGG signed an agreement with the Ministry of Energy regarding subsidies for financing one-off severance pay on March 19 this year. The company then received funds to pay the benefits, which, according to its information, have already started to be paid.
One-off severance pay (JOP) for employees who voluntarily decide to end their employment in the mining industry is one of the protective solutions provided for in the amended Act on the Operation of the Hard Coal Mining Industry, which entered into force on January 1 this year. The amount of the benefit is PLN 170,000. PLN net.
JOP is available to employees who are not entitled to mining leave or leave for employees of processing plants, are employed underground or on the surface of a mine, have at least three years of service in an enterprise covered by the Act, and have more than one year left to acquire pension rights.
The Act also provides that the termination of the contract takes place by mutual consent of the parties, and therefore requires the consent of both the employee and the employer.
PGG assures that it was preparing to implement the program. Consultation points were opened in mines and plants in advance, where employees could obtain information about the rules of the program, check their eligibility and submit documents. At the same time, the company informed about protective instruments on the employee portal and through internal communication channels.
As noted by the company's president, Łukasz Deja, quoted by PGG, the idea was to ensure that employees considering using JOPs had clear rules, access to reliable information and time to make a decision calmly. “Thanks to this, the program is now being implemented efficiently and effectively,” Deja declared.
At the beginning of February this year. PGG authorities signaled that the company, which currently employs approx. 35,000 people, would like to reduce employment this year by approx. 5 thousand. people.
Of this number, a total of approx. 3.6 thousand people could benefit from the protections financed by the state budget introduced by the amendment to the Mining Act. These, in addition to JOPs, include paid mining and processing leaves.
According to information from the Ministry of Energy from the end of February this year. this year's plan assumes that 738 people will leave PGG in 2026 with one-off severance pay. According to plans, 2,324 people at PGG are scheduled to take advantage of mining and processing holidays this year.
April 1 this year PGG has begun the four-year process of liquidation of the Wujek section of the Wujek-Staszic mine (mining in Wujek was completed in 2021), and mining in the Bielszowice section of the Ruda mine is scheduled to end on June 30.
There were workers working in the Wujek mine at the beginning of February this year. almost 800 people, due to the earlier relocation of a large part of the crew to the Staszice mine, and in the Bielszowice mine about 2.2 people.
Approximately 320 people will remain in Wujek until the mining plant is closed down, of which approximately 100 will benefit from the voluntary departure program. The rest are then to move to Staszic, replacing employees there who want to use the shields.
In a similar way, employees of Bielszowice are to join the Halemba movement, and about 400 people must remain there to be liquidated. The rest have a guaranteed job in other PGG branches: they will replace those who will leave there for cover.
According to previous information from the PGG management board, in the December survey, 1.2 thousand people declared interest in JOPs across the company. employees, and this year, when declarations were collected, it was half of this number.
In the opinion of the PGG management board, this may be due to the initial phase of the mechanism: perhaps some employees want to observe how it works and possibly use it in later stages.
In parallel, PGG is developing activities supporting employees who want to take up another job after leaving the industry. This includes: joint project with Koleje Śląskie, including: information meetings, career counseling, training and support for people interested in employment in the railway industry.
According to the estimates of the PGG management board, this year's production in the company, due to the reduction in employment and the number of plants, depending on demand, should reach 15-15.5 million tons, compared to 16.1 million tons in 2025. (PAP)
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