Trade unionists are blocking Katowice, accusing local governments of a lack of commitment to the region's transformation.

• On Tuesday, November 4, a protest in defense of Polish steel takes place in Katowice.
• The Star March is attended primarily by representatives of the steel, mining, coking and automotive industries.
• The government knows everything, understands everything, but does nothing – that's the general message behind the union's Star March in Katowice, scheduled for this afternoon. But local government officials also took a beating.

Trade unionists are raising concerns that, despite the provisions of the social agreement regarding the region's transformation, local governments are still failing to fulfill their obligations. They believe that since the agreement was signed, cooperation in this area has been practically nonexistent.

Local governments are playing separately and this is a road to nowhere

- emphasizes Dominik Kolorz, chairman of the Silesian-Dąbrowa "Solidarity".

According to trade unionists, the social contract details how local governments should engage in the process of economic and social transformation in the mining region . Meanwhile, they believe local authorities are failing to take real action that could translate into job creation and economic development.

There's an entire chapter dedicated to the role of local governments in the transformation, but in practice, no one seems to care. It's sad because the money from the transformation fund isn't being used as it should be. These funds are being wasted.

- says Dominik Kolorz.

Trade unionists are calling for greater involvement on the part of local government authorities, especially for an active role in coordinating transformation activities.

Marshal Saługa is "playing okay." However, there is a need for either the metropolitan or voivodeship authorities to begin coordinating the transformation.

- adds Kolorz.

In his opinion, without a common plan and real cooperation between local governments, the transformation process may end in failure.

The chairman of the Silesian-Dąbrowa Solidarity, Dominik Kolorz, indicated on the eve of the demonstration that the demonstration was being organised by the Inter-Union Protest and Strike Committee of the Silesian-Dąbrowa Region, reactivated after five years.

"Regardless of political affiliation, we have all united together. This shows how serious the situation is. More and more jobs in the automotive industry are disappearing. The steel industry in Poland is losing ground to the flood of imported steel from China and Ukraine. The social agreement regarding the transformation of the mining industry and the region is not being implemented. The situation of Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa is hopeless. In the coking industry, we are at risk of losing financial liquidity. We are fighting to ensure that Silesia does not die," declared Kolorz.

The MKPS of the Silesian-Dąbrowa region was reactivated on 13 October 2025. The committee consists of Solidarity, OPZZ, Trade Union Forum and August 80. The unionists cited the deteriorating situation in the industry and the lack of satisfactory results of talks with the government on the problems of the steel and mining industries as the reasons for the resumption of MKPS activities.

MKPS was established in the region in October 2012 and in March 2013 organized a general strike involving 85,000 workers from approximately 400 workplaces. MKPS activities were resumed in January 2015 and again in September 2020.