Polish bishops denounce country's working conditions for families

Published: 2005-12-20

WARSAW, Poland (CNS) -- The Polish Catholic bishops' conference denounced working conditions in Poland and said the government has failed to support and defend family rights. "State policy has not supported and defended family rights as it should. It has facilitated an attitude of robbery by employers," the bishops' conference said in a pastoral letter. "Employees are not and cannot be treated as just a workforce. These are mothers and fathers, wives and husbands, for whom the most fundamental right to family and married life must be guaranteed." In the letter to mark the Dec. 30 feast of the Holy Family, the bishops said many workers accepted "work beyond their capacity" in an effort to keep their families, obtain a home and finance their children's education. They said the church understands the "unjust conditions" faced by many workers, and would speak out against employers' "uncontrolled desire for instant profit at any price" which forced many workers to be "permanently absent" from their families.

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