Traditional feast held in city center for haves and have ... - Krakow Post

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8 The Krakow Post B U S I N E S S DECEMBER 20-JANUARY 9, 2008 Polish rail to get a major facelift within next four years the krakow post The Polish Rail InterCity (PKP) will be restructured into a joint stock company with plans for the future to release its shares on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. The public transport carrier is promising that within four years passengers will be traveling in comfort and with greater efficiency. PKP InterCity wants to compete with the airlines in transporting commuters across the country. According to Gazeta Prawna, Czeslaw Warsewicz the CEO of PKP Inter- City assured ticket prices for rail travel will not increase with the onset of the new year. Despite inflation and an increase in petrol prices as well as employee wages, PKP stands firm not to increase its fares unless there is grave reason to do so. Currently the transport company is negotiating with PKP Cargo from which PKP InterCity leases its electric locomotives. PKP Cargo is demanding higher leasing fees. Warsewicz assures PKP InterCity has plans to become more self-reliant in order to minimize costs. It has purchased 10 of its own electric locomotive engines, which will be in operation within two years time. The company is also taking into consideration leasing locomotives from other suppliers outside of Poland. Gazeta Prawna reports PKP InterCity is also preparing to make a public debut on the Warsaw Stock Exchane (WSE). Plans to float shares on other international exchanges are being taken into consideration for the following years. According to Warsewicz, entering the stock exchange is a priority for PKP InterCIty as it must make up for the time lost and modernize the rail company. The investment plan foresees 2.7 bln zloty spent within four years time. About 1.5 bln zloty is to be spent on 20 new speed trains, with the tender for the purchase of them to be announced in the next three months. Some 300 train carriages are to be modernized with 250 already being renovated. The company has also issued a public tender for the purchase of 30 new carriages. PKP InterCity will also either renovate completely or purchase 50 new restaurant carts, spending around 180 mln zloty. The bid to operate the restaurant has been won by Wars. The company has serviced trains in the previous years and was already once rejected by PKP InterCity, with Wars carriages being removed early this year. Warsewicz claims the company made the best offer in the tender and had to prove it is capable of offering a better service than it has in the past. The company has undergone restructuralization. To accommodate business travel, PKP Intercity is also looking to develop its “hot spot” wireless connections at the major train stations within Poland. Plans are also being considered for making internet connection available within the trains themselves. All new carriages are equipped with electrical sockets for laptops and mobiles. cc:sa:Stefan Bauer Czech to send home NKorean workers by January agence france-presse All North Koreans living and working in the Czech Republic under a controversial cheap labor program will have been sent home by the end of January 2008, the Czech Interior Ministry told AFP early this week. “By the end of January 2008, no citizen of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea with long-term residency for work purposes will be allowed to stay,” the ministry said in reply to written questions. The development will end the practice of allowing them to work in factories as a source of cheap labor, after some human rights groups said they were being used as breadwinners for the authoritarian regime in their home country. At the end of November, 134 North Koreans with visas were still working in the Czech Republic, the ministry added. Back in January, when Prague announced it would end the arrangement, there were 400. At the time it made the announcement, the Interior Ministry said the decision stemmed from a UN resolution condemning and imposing sanctions on Pyongyang following nuclear weapon tests. But the Foreign Ministry described it as “an administrative and not a political decision.” The practice of allowing local companies to use cheap North Korean labor with a large part of their meagre earnings being funneled to Kim Jong-Il’s regime was criticized by the U.S. State Department. Groups such as the U.S.- based Freedom House also attacked the arrangement. A Polish worker at a car accessories plant in the small town of Nachod, about 200 kilometers (130 miles) north of Prague, told AFP earlier this year that the 82 North Korean seamstresses working there received only half their wages – the rest was sent to the regime. People In Need, a Czech charity and human rights group, condemned the practice back in January. “Times have changed, yet these people are no different from modern day slaves,” it said. The number of North Koreans working abroad to payroll the Pyongyang regime climbed to around 70,000 worldwide, according to a report from Radio Free Asia earlier this year. Their earnings are vital to the government because of a foreign currency shortfall following UN sanctions, it said. ANNOUNCEMENT International Women’s Association of Krakow www.iwak.pl iwak_krakow@yahoo.com Monitoring employees at work Justyna Krzywicka Staff Journalist Monitoring employees at their place of work by the use of video cameras or through conducting computer security checks, which includes email inboxes, is becoming commonplace. According to Gazeta Prawna and the research conducted by Hitachi Data Systems, some 67 percent of Polish employers monitor their workers’ emails. In France 71 percent of employers do the same, as do 62 percent in the United Kingdom. Monitoring the levels of intoxication of their employees is no longer a random breath check, rather a daily occurrence for many workers. Within the building sector, many construction companies conduct breath checks each morning before builders can commence work. The Milka Council (in the Warmin-Mazurian region), carries out alcohol breath tests each morning, Gazeta Prawna reports. The very next day after the breathalyzer was put into practice, two workers were sent home after displaying a blood alcohol level of 2.7 and 3.4 mg respectively. According to Gazeta Prawna there is an increased market demand to implement such monitoring methods. This is reaffirmed by companies who specialize in offering monitoring services and equipment. Companies offering monitoring services such as A Plus C have up to 100 customers per month inquiring about their services. A major concern for implementing such monitoring services and devices is not so much the protection of trade secrets or confidential information within the workplace, but to increase the productivity levels of the employees. Such monitoring, according to Gazeta Prawna, may increase efficiency at work by 40 percent. No study was carried out to indicate whether stringent control over workers’ activities decreases morale within the workplace. Trade unions are being increasingly approached to negotiate such monitoring measures. According to Transport Workers Trade Union (ZZPRC), negotiations always concern email monitoring and the installation of cameras in office spaces and work related areas. Should an employer decide to carry out monitoring within the workplace, he/she must first notify the employees and describe the monitoring process involved. If this is not carried out, an employer may be sued by his/ her workers for a breach of privacy which is protected by Art. 24 of the Civil Code. Inflation hits hard at year’s end the krakow post The annual inflation indicator shows an increase to 3.6 percent in November. Inflation stood at three percent in October. Analysts are predicting December will see a rise in prices as high as 3.7 to 4.1 percent. According to the Inflation Report published in October 2007 by the National Bank of Poland and the Monetary Policy Council, the annual index of consumer goods and services prices has been steadily growing since 2006. In 2007 inflation was subject to considerable fluctuations – in August coming down to 1.5 percent, and rebounding to 2.2 percent in September. The National Bureau of Statistics (GUS) indicated the prices were 3.6 percent higher than the prices for the same time last year. Within the one month, foodstuff prices rose overall by 1.6 percent, compared to the previous month. Vegetables prices rose by 10 percent, rice by 3.4 percent and butter by 3.3 percent. The overall rise in petrol prices also indicated the increase in public transport costs by 1.3 percent since October. According to economists, the current inflation continues to be affected by two opposing trends. A rise in demands on the domestic market, a tighter labor market and an increase in food prices all contribute to the overall price growth. The other factor is globalization and how it affects Poland’s economy, increasing competition within the local market and in the telecommunication sector. Along with food price and petrol price increases, housing costs have also risen within the last month, affecting the inflation index. The November statistics show that inflation has risen for the first time since 2005 above the average indicator that is accepted by the Monetary Policy Council. The acceptable average in the inflation cap goal is 2.5 percent. The Council accepts sways in the indicator up to 3.5 percent. Inflation is predicted to be stablize from April and drop down to 3.4 percent by the end of the year.
DECEMBER 20-JANUARY 9, 2008 B U S I N E S S The Krakow Post 9 Two local banks merge GDFL 1.2.:Piotr Brichacek Russia, Ukraine selling cheaper coal in Poland Grazyna Zawada Staff Journalist Two major Polish banks, Pekao S.A. and BPH S.A., have merged to form the biggest bank in Poland and in this part of Europe. The new bank, also called Pekao S.A. and formally created on Dec. 1, has assets of about 120 bln zloty. The value of the whole transaction is put at 625.5 mln euro. The entire merger process is to be completed in the first quarter of 2008. Prior to the merger, BPH S.A. was divided into two parts. The larger portion – consisting of 1.5 mln bank accounts, 285 banking branches, more than 300 partner agencies and more than 600 cash machines – was acquired by Pekao S.A. The remaining part of BPH S.A – namely 650,000 customers, 200 branches, a Marketing & Sales Enthusiasts!!! You are wanted! We are currently looking for people to join our Marketing & Sales team. Successful applicants will: - enjoy the art of selling and meeting new people - have a minimum of one year of sales experience - be communicative and flexible with a non-09:00-17:00 mentality If you are interested, please write to us: jargonmedia@gmail.com brand, and investment funds outside Pekao S.A. – exists now as a minor bank and is scheduled to merge with American GE Money group next year. The new, larger Pekao S.A is now governed from Vienna, as it belongs to HVB and UniCredit group, an Austrian-Italian banking group, but it seems that BPH S.A. is the bank with better results in acquiring clients, sales dynamics and overall financial results. According to data from the last three weeks, only 3,000 customers decided to close their accounts in BPH S.A. because they were unhappy with the merger. Employees of BPH were neither to encourage nor to discourage clients from changing banks, and all of the employees were trained to introduce the Pekao proposal to customers even before the merger. Jan Bielecki, the president of Pekao S.A., said that under one common emblem, MINI VACANCY MINI VACANCY Native English Teacher A school of English in Krakow is looking for a native English teacher. The position is available immediately for a period of one year. The individual should be enthusiastic and creative, possession of a recognized teaching qualification (CELTA/TEFL) and some relevant previous experience in work with groups is required. If you are interested in this vacancy or would like further information please do not hesitate to send your CV. eng_schoolkrakow@ yahoo.com Place a job offer here! jargonmedia@gmail.com Helper/Au-Pair We are looking for a Helper/Au-Pair. Native English speaker preferred. aupair152krakow@ yahoo.com Place a job offer here! jargonmedia@gmail.com RESUME Pekao S.A. now operates a bank that has more than 5 mln retail clients, more than 300,000 business clients and more than 15,500 corporate clients. The process of transferring all these customers into a new information technology system will begin in January. Vice President of Pekao S.A, Luigi Lovaglio, pointed out that UniCredit is one of the three biggest banking groups in Europe. The new Pekao S.A. has the biggest market capitalization in the region, 17.8 mln euro; the biggest fund value, 120.5 bln zloty, and a total of 68 bln zloty in loans. Lovaglio added that the new Pekao S.A. is preparing marketing plans for clients, tailoring them to particular regions. It is planned that new mortgage and retail loan offers will be presented in the first quarter of the new year. MINI RESUME MINI Top Management M 31, University degree in engineering, 6 years of top management experience in leading companies in industrial cooling, refrigerating sector. Project management. Negotiations. Prepare technical solutions. Full scope of technical support: pre-planning. PC. Contact: jerrybarrows@ yahoo.com Place a career resume here! jargonmedia@gmail.com Business/Personal Assistant Talented, experienced lady is looking for a job of Business/Personal Assistant (full- or part-time) Degree in Philology, 10 years experience in Western companies. Very responsible, goal excellent organizational and interpersonal skills. Please contact me at: hiopole@mail.ru Place a career resume here! jargonmedia@gmail.com the krakow post Although coal mining is one of Poland’s major industries, Russia and Ukraine have begun selling coal in this country. Coal from those countries is cheaper, and it also has lower sulfur content, so it burns cleaner. The price break that Polish coal consumers are getting now is likely to dry up, however, some Polish coal operators predict. The Russians and Ukrainians plan to make an all-out marketing assault on Poland’s coal-burning power plants soon. Russian and Ukrainian coal is extracted at a lower depth than in Poland, making it less expensive. The daily newspaper Rzeczpospolita said many Polish clients are signing up for coal from the east because of the lower price. “For me, price is the most important thing, so I would prefer Russian coal,” said Janina Garbowska, who uses coal to heat her house in Podkarpacie in southeast Poland. “However, in the area where I live, we have access only to Polish coal.” Andrzej Pawlaszek, director of the government-owned coal mining operation in Silesia, said he doesn’t believe Polish power plants will use Russian coal. With 16 mines, the Silesia operation is Europe’s largest. Although Russian coal companies’ extraction costs are lower than Polish companies, the Russians will have to add transportation and safety costs, Pawleszek said. That means that “soon their costs will rise,” he said. But the Russians are sure to try to grab the lucrative power-plant business. In September, the Siberian Coal Energy Company set up a subsidiary in Poland. It is Russia’s largest producer and one of the 10 biggest in the world. The company plans to deliver about one million tons of coal in Poland over the next year. So far, it has used Polish agents for its sales. But in the beginning of 2008, it plans to sell the coal directly. The company has affiliates or subsidiaries in Krasnoyarsk, Primorsky, Khabarovsk, Irkutsk, Chita, Kemerovo, Buryatia and Khakassia. In 2005, its stock value made the company worth $1.9 bln.
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Traditional feast held in city center for haves and have ... - Krakow Post

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