A scuffle broke out on Thursday between former Orlen CEO Daniel Obajtek and Wojciech Kotlarek, the CEO of Inowrocławskie Kopalnie Soli „Solino”, as Obajtek tried to enter the company’s headquarters to support striking workers. The incident occurred amid a prolonged protest by employees opposing the planned sale of part of the business to German firm K+S.
Employees of IKS Solino have been conducting a rotating hunger strike for over 100 days. They demand that Orlen take over a section of Qemetica (formerly Ciech) involved in soda, salt production, and storage of crude oil. Qemetica, controlled by Sebastian Kulczyk, decided to sell its salt business to German salt and fertilizer company K+S.
Background of the protest
On Thursday, PiS politicians, including Przemysław Czarnek and Daniel Obajtek, appeared at the IKS Solino headquarters. Obajtek, now a Member of the European Parliament, announced he would symbolically protest until Friday evening. – I’m going there, I will symbolically protest until Friday evening with my workers. It will be a hunger strike. I have the right to enter this company, I am an MEP. I am not entering the production area, only the office part, because I want to draw public attention to the fact that such economic scandals should not happen – Obajtek told Polsat News.
Confrontation at the headquarters
However, when Obajtek attempted to enter the building, he was blocked by Wojciech Kotlarek, the CEO of IKS Solino. The atmosphere became increasingly tense, and a scuffle ensued between the two men. According to Polsat News, Obajtek eventually left the building. Later, he explained to journalists that police officers informed him that the company’s management had not consented to his entry onto the premises.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. Agnieszka Bielecka / PAP
