Polish foresters' protest spreads: Timber industry joins demonstrations

The national protest of Polish foresters scheduled for Friday, July 12, 2024, is gaining momentum with the announcement that representatives of the timber industry will join the demonstrations. While the main action will take place in Warsaw, simultaneous protests are planned in front of prefectures across the country, according to drewno.pl.

In Białystok, the capital of the Podlasia region, representatives of the "Wood Industry Protest" - a newly formed alliance of wood industry entrepreneurs - will be with foresters in front of the Prefecture from 10:00.

Private sector protest objectives include:

1. Defense of the National Forest National Agency
2. Protecting the interests of entrepreneurs in the forestry and wood processing sectors
3. Safeguarding the entire forestry and timber industry
4. Conserving Polish nature through sustainable forestry practices

Entrepreneurs accuse the Climate and Environment Ministry, in particular State Secretary Mikołaj Dorożała, of "irrational and unprofessional actions". They criticize the moratorium on timber harvesting, introduced in January without proper impact studies, which has had serious consequences for the industry.

At the same time, the unions representing the employees of the National Forestry Agency have their own set of demands:

1. Immediate withdrawal of the moratorium on logging introduced on January 8, 2024.
2. Respecting and recognizing the importance of the forestry sector, including preventing the loss of around 100,000 jobs.
3. Initiate a real dialog with the government on planned reforms in state forest management.
4. Withdrawal of the draft amendments to the Forest Act and the Nature Protection Act, considered insufficiently analyzed.
5. The immediate resignation of Minister Paulina Hennig-Kloska and State Secretary Mikołaj Dorożała, accused of incompetence.

Both private sector representatives and trade unions accuse the ministry of lack of transparency and manipulation in the public consultation process on the proposed restrictions. They claim that the dialog with the ministry's leadership is only window-dressing and that the extension of the consultation period was handled unprofessionally.

This convergence of private sector and trade union protests underlines the widespread impact of current forest policies. The situation illustrates the complex challenges in balancing environmental conservation with the economic and social needs of an important traditional industry.

The protest takes place in a symbolic year - the centenary of the founding of the National Forestry Agency. Participants express their frustration that instead of celebrating the anniversary, they are forced to fight to protect their forest heritage and their professions.

The events in Poland highlight the need for constructive dialog between all stakeholders to strike a balance between nature conservation, sustainable management of forest resources and maintaining an industry vital to the country's economy.