A 29-year-old miner from Rybnik took a PLN 170,000 one-off redundancy payment from Polska Grupa Górnicza and now has a lifetime ban on returning to work in the company’s mines. Mateusz Moskwa, who used to work as a miner-electrician, described the conditions of his exit in an interview with Onet.
Polska Grupa Górnicza has introduced a voluntary departure programme as part of efforts to soften the social consequences of gradually limiting hard coal extraction in Silesia. Under the new rules, employees can choose a mining leave of up to five years or a single cash redundancy of PLN 170,000. People working on mechanical coal processing lines can take a four-year leave. During such leave, workers are paid 80 percent of their salary calculated according to the same rules as holiday pay, even though they do not perform their duties.
The one-off payment is offered to employees who do not qualify for a mining leave or for the leave reserved for mechanical coal processing staff.
– Some congratulate me, others try to calculate how much money I got. Old acquaintances also got in touch. Some colleagues treated my decision as an impulse. They say that if I took advantage, they want to try too. I know that two more people from my section have already submitted documents. As for coming back, in the documents I signed there is a complete ban on re-employment in the mine structures for the rest of my life – Mateusz Moskwa said.
What the former miner plans to do with the payout
Moskwa said he does not intend to use the money for daily expenses. He treats it as capital and wants to invest it in a plot of land or a property near Rybnik, as well as in courses and further education. In his account, the redundancy should be a starting point for a completely new chapter.
Today, the former miner works in wedding photography and video editing. According to Onet, with four projects completed per month he could earn up to three times more than his previous salary in the mine.
Thousands to leave PGG in 2026
Around 5,000 employees are expected to leave Polska Grupa Górnicza in 2026. The company remains one of the largest employers in Poland, with about 34,000 staff currently on its payroll.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. Shutterstock/DmyTo
