Supreme Court dismisses appeal; collective agreement parties lack authority to reduce statutory coal deputy benefits for plant pensioners.

The Supreme Court of Poland revoked lower court rulings dismissing a plaintiff's claim for unpaid coal deputy benefits. The plaintiff argued that collective agreements required full payment of coal equivalents, while the defendant cited severe economic losses and an increase in pensioner numbers as grounds for reduction. The court held that collective bargaining agreements on wage systems do not empower parties to alter statutory benefits for plant pensioners, a competence reserved exclusively by the Labor Code amendment of 1994.