The participatory potential of Polish trade unions

The purpose of the article is to present the issues of the development of employee participation in Poland and the functions of trade unions. Trade unions in Poland, like many union organizations across Europe, have faced numerous problems related to the shrinking membership base or the limited presence of trade unions at the company level in general. Trade unions' promotion of practices leading to deeper employees' participation in decision-making processes should be one of the most important functions performed by trade unions. It seems, though, this is not the case. However, it is difficult to blame only trade unions. Undeveloped participation is also the result of resistance in the managerial environment and the attitudes of employees themselves, approaching their greater involvement in decision-making processes with reservation.