Law / Worked for a restaurant in Poland and the owner refused to pay me. [60]

Hi!

To be paid some 50% under the table is very frequent in Poland and not only by restaurants (I've seen situation often even with "international" Polish private schools).

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.

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.

Please just do what Poles do in such a case, they quit and look for something else and they forget with time.

Sorry but this is an aspect of Polish life that foreigners should be ready to face as it happens often with small firms.

Law / Apply Karta Pobytu (Residence Card) for my wife [7]

Witam!
The best thing is to go to the administration for foreigners (in Warsaw it's on ul. Długa 5) and ask. You know there are rules but also every situation can be different.

News / Poland's Economy Is Booming! The EU's Success Story? [711]

@ Peterweg!

If we remember, it's allways what they claim after each major sports event and Poles in their comments in various Polish media are not naive. It is always like that and 2 or 3 years later (if not before) they recognize it was more like a failure. Besides, I assume that a lot of money made shall leave Poland since construction coes, hotels, restaurants and stores are most often foreign.

As to peole claiming to return to Poland for holidays, I have serious doubts. People said so whithin the football ambiance, the drinking parties and also it depends how the question was asked. Very soon, people will have forgotten about the 2012 Euro (next Euro in France, and also the Olympics, first in London, then in Rio, then the World Cup in Brazil) and people will have other priorities all the more as Poland is not the mecca of tourism. A few more foreigners will visit Poland this year and also maybe next year and that's all.

Sorry, I'm not naive and I believe same for most Poles.

Life / Is Poland a poor country? [578]

Hi!

Absolutely! In the case of Poles abroad, at least 99.99% of them are for economical reasons. As to the British, French, Germans, Americans and other westerners for instance in Poland, 99.99% of them are business people (most of them are sent by their companies) or in mixed couples with Poles.

Furthermore, Westerners in Poland do not take the sh...ty jobs Poles don't want whereas 99.99% of the Poles abroad have to take the jobs locals don't want to take.

I believe Poland is a poor country since lives off foreign subsidies and too many Poles are forced to go abroad for bread. Poland shall be considered a "rich" country when it no longer needs foreign aid, when its people no longer need to emigrate for bread and when millions of foreigners shall move to Poland for bread.

Some people may dream but Poland is far behind.

Food / Is Polish food still more natural than in the West? [142]

I agree 100%, it's totally bland, also in color -all is greyish/brownish with no effort to make it look nice on the plate. I'm French and thus food is a big pleasure for me so Polish food is nothing to really talk about. I only eat international food. I believe only Poles can like Polish food. It's really unsophisticated and it is for coal miners or truck drivers; it is full of grease and mayonnaise, and poor in vegetables/fruit.

Sorry but Polish cuisine has no reputation around the world and it is not a coincidence....

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

2,000 zl per month seems reasonable for a cleaning lady. I'm not saying it's "too much" but I'm saying that it is credible. I assume "mine" must make the same.

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

When I pay her 20 (for very light work only), I refer to the normal rates I see in ads (for instance Gumtree.pl) and I hear in expat community. She happens to be Polish but it does not matter to me where she is from.

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

There is also a big difference between money made by teachers and cleaning ladies.

Teachers at least in public schools are paid 12 months a year, get paid when sick, have retirement whereas cleaning ladies earn only when working. Teachers can also get credit whereas cleaning ladies cannot.

As to cleaning ladies, the hourly rate is in Warsaw 10-15 zl (see ads) (but I pay mine 20 and let her eat all she wants while at my place) so it is not sure that they make 150 zl per day every day. There are a lot of people bragging about making fast and easy and tons of money but the situation is very different.

News / Poland's Economy Is Booming! The EU's Success Story? [711]

@Wroclaw + Milky

If banks collapse in Greece, the whole banking system shall collapse since in Greece they have foreign banks. I watched a program tonight with economists and journalists from around the world and they say that even in the US it is feared. If the Greek crisis was put on the G8's agenda, it is not for nothing.

Because of said banks, the zl has gone down to the euro (since "Polish" banks are mostly with western capital). It is no joke.

Law / Do foreign students graduated from Polish university need work permit before finding job? [24]

Hi!

Only people from other UE countries may work in Poland. The others need to find employers in Poland, who need to prove the Ministry of Labor that no Pole or no resident can do the work so better to forget it. I know that at least very recently (now I don't know) such work permit needed to be re-applied for every year.

There are plenty of countries more attractive in terms of salaries and economic conditions so no need to struggle in Poland (unless stuck for personal matters).

News / Should Poles care who becomes French President or is it irrelevant? [45]

Witam!

Thanks for finally intelligent comments! Yes, there is nothing to be scarred of for Europe, the world and even France with new President. Yes, French socialist party - like all those in Western Europe - are social-democrats and obviously have nothing in common with those who ruled Eastern Europe before 1989 but there is a lot of ignorance (incl. on this forum.....). Yesterday, I had to explain to a Pole, whom I had thought intelligent.

The world is relieved: arrogant and incompetent blingbling sarko is out :). No one is "scarred" of the "socialists" ;)

Have a good day!

PS: Paris stock exchange was up yesterday ;) "lol"

News / Should Poles care who becomes French President or is it irrelevant? [45]

to close subject, I have intevened in public because of lack of knowledge made in public about topic most on this thread know nothing about. Some of you don't even know names of candidates. It is NOT Le PenN but Le Pen, which means "the head" in Briton (Celtic language spoken in Brittany) and the Le Pens are not extreme LEFT but extreme RIGHT and Hollande is not a communist but a social-democrat (French socialist party = SPD in Germany, Labour in GB, ... and even close to Democrats in the US) so why talking about a topic on the net one does not know ?

Yes, sarko made 48% but France is a democracy and it's always like that - things are not style ..... 90 to 10 ;). Yes, it's very low for sarko due to his big bucks machine and his friends' owned + controlled media and also as he'd had been running for election for almost 5 years.

Just for info, check who voted for Hollande and who voted for sarko and you'll see who means the future ;)

Why in the world do you make a personal thing out of it? Hollande has won and that's it and because of France's weight in Europe and the world, you'll have to cope with it. Tusk who boycotted him shall have now to meet with him and that's all. This is called .... DEMOCRACY and apparently you have trouble with idea = your problem

fyi, sarko shall lose his imnuity on June 16 and shall start being questioned by several judges (L'Oréal, Karachigate, Kaddafi, etc etc etc..... )

I have just commented upon post since 1. I'm French, 2. I've voted for Hollande and 3. I live in Poland.

Case closed and "Bonne chance François ! :)"

News / Should Poles care who becomes French President or is it irrelevant? [45]

Please don't compare Greece and France ;).

Believe me, there is money in France. How much did for instance sarko spene bt on his sarko air force 1, on his wars around the world and other stupid things (they wanted to host the Olympic games and France shall have the football Euro in 2016). Do you know how much this election cost? I believe such money could have been spent for instance on education, on health (since sarko, middle-class in France can't afford dental care or to buy glasses....) and also to hire police to protect people...

If you prefer to keep tighten your belt and fatten up the richest, keep going, I don't.
In any country, there is money (even in Greece, check the very rich and the Greek church - they don't pay tax ;)) but governments have different priorities and I prefer a goverment concerned about the basic people's well being rather than spending money on wars, on fat dictators around the world and so forth.

Just a matter of choice and believe me most people think the way I do.

I assume you don't know France and don't speak French, so no need to talk further.....

News / Should Poles care who becomes French President or is it irrelevant? [45]

Hi

I'm French and voted for Hollande - Sarko being a nightmare, he had to go.

How shall Hollande do? Very simple and French is a very rich country (no. 5 in the world): he'll just use money to improve people's daily life rather than spending it on non sense (like for instance sarko did; wars around the world, or Air sarko 1 ......).

There is money, it's just a matter of priorities. It is so everywhere and not only in France.