We are fighting for jobs in Janikowo
On the initiative of Marshal Piotr Całbecki, the regional government is today (17 March) submitting to the Sejm a draft position paper, appealing to the state authorities to take immediate action to save the chemical plant in Janikowo, in the Inowrocław district, owned by Qemetica Soda Polska, from liquidation. Several hundred employees of the soda factory are threatened with collective redundancies, and possibly several thousand employed in cooperating companies, which would mean the collapse of the labour market in the area.
On its corporate website, the Qemetica group writes that the Janikowo plant has become unprofitable and is generating losses due to high energy prices, strong competition from Turkish soda producers and exporters to the Polish and European markets, and European Union environmental regulations that restrict producers. It announces the extinction of production by the end of July this year and the dismissal of up to 350 employees.
‘The Kujawsko-Pomorskie voivodship assembly points out the need to take immediate measures to resolve the situation (…) and stresses that the current difficult position of the plant (…) is due solely to external factors and not to an erroneous company development policy. (…) Considering the extremely strong justified need for the functioning of the (…) plant in Janikowo in terms of energy security and strategic economic interest of Poland, as well as in the face of social and economic collapse expected as a result of the plant liquidation and environmental problems of the Janikowo municipality, including very high social costs, (…. ) [we appeal] for immediate actions aimed at maintaining the functioning of the plant (…), including the introduction of solutions that will ensure effective protection (…) against unfair and unethical competition (…) [from outside] the European Union,’ reads the draft position.
– ‘We have credible information that leads us to reasonably believe that we are dealing here with the effect of EU climate policy, which affects the entire chemical industry on the continent, while failing to effectively protect the EU market. Turkish soda producers, who are not subject to EU environmental restrictions, produce much more cheaply and already have 30% of the Polish market. And there are still cheap raw materials from Russia at stake, and probably re-exports of Russian soda. This must change,’ emphasises Marshal Piotr Całbecki.
The addressees of the position include Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Speaker of the Sejm Szymon Hołownia and Speaker of the Senate Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska.
Beata Krzemińska
Spokesperson of the Marshal’s Office
17 March 2025