The idea to create a trade union of actors was born as an emanation of the aims and will developing among actors. As a result of numerous discussions it was decided that in face of the rapidly growing number of problems relating to our profession we lack a representation that could react to irregularities, issue opinions on new legal acts (as specified in the law on trade unions) and, most importantly, protect the interests of actors as a professional group against employers and institutions with which the actors are connected through various forms of employment. A group was established with the most prominent representatives of our profession as members, including: Gustaw Holoubek, Zbigniew Zapasiewicz, Marek Kondrat, Olgierd Łukaszewicz, Mariusz Bonaszewski, Piotr Fronczewski, Kazimierz Kaczor, Maria Pakulnis, Wojciech Duryasz, Marek Bargiełowski, Janusz Bukowski, Janusz R. Nowicki, Kazimierz Wysota, Piotr Adamczyk, Jacek Rozenek, Tomasz Budyta, Andrzej Piszczatowski. It was possible to form a union whose model would be based on trade unions already operating in France, England, Germany or the United States, adjusted to our market conditions or the relations between theatres and the state or its agents (i.e. communes, poviats, voivodships). Another issue which influenced the thinking about the future union was the fact that Poland was trying to become “a member of Europe”.
The situation called for legislative, structural as well as administrative changes. As artists we felt we were not included in the plans of subsequent governments, for whom culture was gradually becoming an insignificant element in their ill-conceived construction of the state and its restoration was being postponed for “more appropriate times”, in other words indefinitely. Cultural circles, among them actors, realized that problems will keep accumulating and as a result a pile will be built that will stand in the way of development not only of the culture itself, but, more importantly, of the society. The citizens’ constitutional right to access to culture in its best form will be threatened. Unfortunately, as the time went by fears of many artists and cultural personalities were confirmed. High culture has been forced out from collective consciousness by popular culture, primitive entertainment and the state practically gave up its responsibility to be a patron of culture, leaving only puppet institutions, substitutes or imitations that were politically unproblematic. In this context the fate of theatres and, as a result, that of actors became pitiful.
In the spring of 1999 during a meeting organised courtesy of Mrs Maria Chwalibóg and Mr Marek Margiełowski in their apartment a decision was made to establish a new trade union. Among the participants of this meeting were: Gustaw Holoubek, Zbigniew Zapasiewicz, Olgird Łukaszewicz, Marek Bargiełowski, Janusz R. Nowicki, Kazimierz Wysota, Jacek Rozenek, Mariusz Bonaszewski, Piotr Adamczyk. During the first formal meeting of the initiative group at the beginning of May 1999, in a room made available to us for that purpose in ZASP’s seat (Association of Polish Stage Artists) in Al. Ujazdowskie 45, the Initiative Group of the Union of Polish Warsaw Actors was established officially. Our colleagues were obliged to draft a status, define the scope of activity and the general aims and matters to be dealt with as first. Time was acting against the initiative group since everyday major changes on the labour market were taking place and the process of achieving agreement between various regions of Poland might have delayed the moment of the official establishment of the Union. Therefore it was decided that in its initial stage the Union will be a Warsaw-based structure with a possibility to establish a nationwide or federal organisation later on.
The Union of Polish Actors was registered in the Regional Court on 16th June 1999. The decision to create a regional structure turned out to be false since it caused many problems for the Union as it lacked a national body that would represent it before the state, which may negotiate only on this level (as specified in the law on trade unions and related regulations). Nevertheless, on the regional level ZZAP Warszawa commenced talks with the government of Warsaw: The Voivode, Presidents or their representatives for culture, with the regional parliament and Members of Commune Councils. Preliminary agreements confirmed that it was a right decision to establish the Union that represents the interests of actors and is a partner for the aforementioned authorities.
A process of utmost importance for actors began, namely of agreeing together with the Polish Television and Polish Radio to make the relationships based on employment contracts between these entities and the actors more “civilised”. Wages and conditions of work in the Polish Radio were agreed on – it is worth mentioning at this point that this was ZZAP’s initiative supported later by ZASP. As a result of consultations conducted with Polish Television it was necessary to resolve the problem of working conditions, contracts and wages of the actors performing in the TV Theatre as well as in TV series or films produced by the Polish Television and co-produced with the Polish Television. The Union’s representatives: Janusz Bukowski, Janusz R. Nowicki and Marek Bargieowski have invested weeks, months and (as you can see) years into establishing the rules of co-operation between the subjects, standardising the agreements for actors / performers. The materials have been prepared with outstanding precision and expertise. They were approved numerous times by the very restrictive legal department of the Polish Television, but despite that they have not been signed (the final version has been ready for a year) and the Union is not at fault here since it has agreed to compromise extensively. Urged by the Union numerous times, authorities of the Polish Television postponed signing of the agreement many times without voicing any reservations, but consistently confirming the will to conclude agreements.
While the chairman and directors of TVP changed the Union was ready, but the agreement was stuck in the offices of the dissidents of this noble, and recently so popular, institution. The Union has lost its leverage and the problem will not be tackled without the support of the whole profession to whom it will have to turn to at some point.
During the General Meeting in the room made available to us courtesy of the ATENEUM Theatre on 9th December 2001 the Union transformed into a nation-wide structure and adopted the name Związek Zwodowy Aktorów Polskich (Union of Polish Actors) with all implications of this change. The transformation was confirmed through a suitable registration in the District Court on 6th February 2002. The Executive Board with its official seat in Warsaw signed, on behalf of the Union, on 31st January 2003 with ZASP’s Executive Board an agreement on close co-operation of both organizations (the content of the agreement to be found in the Union’s documents). In order to protect the interests of our profession or to issue opinions on new legal acts ZZAP may enter into alliances with other cultural trade unions as long as they do not restrict the Unions autonomy and capacity to make decisions. ZZAP is a guild-like association and will remain such – it does not have the right to political representation. It shall guard professional dignity, the rights acquired by its members and shall endevour to represent our profession with dignity in all areas of its activity. We shall strive to present our members with evidence that the Union is indispensable in face of the transformation taking place within the process of creating fundamental rules for the functioning of culture in a new organism – the United Europe and in establishing our place in it.
Polish culture faces a reform, and as the “Report on the State of Theatre” has showed, theatre requires it as well. Let us start with reforming our way of thinking on professional representation. The Union of Polish Actors is not a burden, it is a necessity. The experience of other countries proves that a union’s smart actions supported by the whole profession make working conditions better, benefiting both the audiences and the actors – performers.
Let the Union of Polish Actors be, as we wrote at the beginning, an emanation of the aspirations and will of our profession.
Dear colleagues – for your individual sake support yourself and support the Union by entering our ranks; support our culture – having it we can enter Europe with our heads held high.
ZZAP Executive Board