The Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy (MRPiPS) proposed to introduce top-down limits for the employment of foreigners, which sparked a wave of criticism from the Ministry of improvement and Technology (MRIT). The fresh law, which is to enter into force from January 2025, has become the subject of a dispute between 2 ministries, due to concerns about its impact on the economy and entrepreneurs.
Criticism by the Ministry of improvement and Technology
The Minister of improvement and Technology, Krzysztof Paszyk, expressed his reservations about the proposal of the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy, pointing to its possibly negative effects. Paszyk defined the fresh law as a step towards a centrally planned economy, which is contrary to the principles of the free market. During the press conference, the Minister stressed that the proposed rules could importantly impede the functioning of entrepreneurs, especially those employing foreigners.
Paszyk pointed out the "draconian penalties" provided for companies that would not comply with the fresh regulations. "I don't think you deserve an entrepreneur for specified strict control regulations," said Paszyk. The Minister besides criticised the fees that will be charged to companies for submitting an application for abroad employment, regardless of the result of the process. He cited an example of orchardists who may be without seasonal workers and at the same time endure financial losses due to rejected applications. "This cannot happen," stressed Paszyk, pointing out that entrepreneurs request support, not additional obstacles.
Support for the agricultural sector
The criticism of the bill is not limited to concerns about economical freedom. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and agrarian Development, Stefan Krajewski, at the same conference, pointed out the peculiar needs of the agricultural sector, which is mostly dependent on seasonal workers. “The farmers request workers, especially seasonal ones. Due to the outbreak of war and the deficiency of chance to arrive Ukrainians, especially men, there is simply a large request for these workers," said Krajewski.
According to the data presented by Krajewski, the fruit and vegetables sector in Poland needs about 150 1000 workers per year, and this number in the processing is between 30 and 50 1000 people. The concerns of the Deputy Minister are related to the fact that the fresh government may impede access to the essential labour force, which in turn will affect agri-food production in the country.
Scheduled amendments to the Act
The fresh abroad employment Act, planned to be introduced since January 2025, provides for a number of crucial changes in the existing regulations. 1 of the main points of the bill is to prevent worker outsourcing, which aims to better control the labour marketplace and employment foreigners. The government besides plans to increase the function of public employment services in the process of issuing work permits, which is intended to contribute to greater transparency and effectiveness of the system.
However, as noted by Krzysztof Paszyk and Stefan Krajewski, fresh regulations can bring more harm than good, especially for entrepreneurs employing seasonal workers. The proposed changes, according to them, may lead to increased bureaucracy and costs associated with the employment of foreigners, which may negatively affect the competitiveness of Polish companies, especially in sectors requiring a large number of seasonal workers.
Summary
The introduction of top-down limits on the employment of foreigners by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy raises quite a few controversy, especially in the context of possible economical and business impact. Criticism by the Ministry of improvement and Technology, as well as representatives of the agricultural sector, indicates the request to rethink the proposed changes and their consequences for the Polish labour market. In the face of these concerns, the government will request to find a compromise that will let for better control of the employment of foreigners on the 1 hand, and for adequate support for Polish entrepreneurs on the other.
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MRPiPS proposes introducing employment limits for foreigners
