SIPTU will host a Polish Culture Night in the Liberty Hall Auditorium, Dublin, on Tuesday, 26th March, as part of the the PolskaÉire 2015 Festival. SIPTU National Campaigns and Equality Organiser, Ethel Buckley, said the union is proud to play a leading role in the festival. “We have over 7,000 Polish SIPTU members and our particular role in the festival will focus on the workplace realities Polish workers living and working in Ireland face every day. “We are delighted that the incoming Polish Ambassador, Ryszard Sarkowicz, has chosen Liberty Hall for one of his first public speaking engagements. It is fitting recognition of the experience of tens of thousands of Polish workers who have come to Ireland in search of work and a better life for their families.” Anna Wianowska, a SIPTU shop steward working in Cork, will compere the evening. She said that since becoming active in the union there has been a positive change in her workplace. "A lot of my Polish colleagues began openly speaking about their problems at work and communication with the company has significantly improved since I began my journey as a SIPTU shop steward. One of the biggest problems for people coming to Ireland from Poland is communication. No knowledge of English and a lack of awareness of our rights can lead to discrimination. "SIPTU provides opportunities to feel part of a larger community and gives people a sense of security, confidence and the possibility of expressing opinions.”
Polish night in Liberty Hall
