Law /
Worked for a restaurant in Poland and the owner refused to pay me. [60]
You have karta pobytu but this does not allow you to work if you are not a citizen of another UE country. If so, you also need a work permit issued to employer.
Wrong. Those holding a Karta Pobytu through a family connection to an EU citizen do not require a work permit.
Even if you were employed legally, be informed that employees in Poland have no more than purely symbolic rights. I've seen even Poles completely ripped off, sometimes not paid and neither the PIP (Labor Inspection) nor the police (I've seen a case when the employer was a real crook and in most countries he would have had his company shut down) could do nothing. The Labor code was changed to please big Western corporations.
Are you kidding? Employment law is heavily in favour of the employee - *when* the paperwork is correct. Claiming that they have "symbolic rights" is rubbish - the courts are weighted around 90-10 in favour of employees. Have you actually read the Labour Code, or paid attention to the numerous judgements in the courts?
PIP nor the police have nothing to do with it - the legal system exists for a reason and there are established paths to dealing with employment problems.
Please just do what Poles do in such a case, they quit and look for something else and they forget with time.
No, what Poles do is deal with it within the legal system. As long as their documentation is all in order, of course.
agreement was for 200 hours for x-amount of zloty, which was way to low to even begin with.
Polish law operates on the basis of documentation. If you agreed an under the table deal, it's between you and him to sort out. Calling the boys in is always an option.
its my legia buddies that want to do something about it.
Always an option.
Sorry but probably there is nothing to be done as it happens very often in Poland.
There is plenty to be done, but he's as guilty as the restaurant owner for agreeing sharp practices.
I've never had an issue with payments in Poland. A few clowns tried late payments and were swiftly dealt with in accordance with Polish law. The e-court system in Lublin really is very useful. Of course, that requires full paperwork and no dodgy under-the-table agreements.
