Free Christmas Eve this year? Hołownia indicates an important condition

The Left’s project introducing a day off from work on Christmas Eve aroused considerable interest and sparked numerous comments among politicians from both the coalition and the opposition. Although the majority of society expects such a solution, implementing the idea this year may be difficult due to procedural and organizational obstacles.

Is Christmas Eve a day off from work? There are formal shortcomings

The bill submitted by Left MPs assumes that Christmas Eve will be a day off from work, which is in line with the expectations of many Poles who traditionally prepare for the holidays on this day. The act has already been assigned a form number, but according to Marshal Szymon Hołownia, the draft does not yet contain key elements, such as the financial impact assessment and the declaration of compliance with European Union law.

Hołownia points out that the lack of these elements may delay the consideration of the bill at the current session of the Sejm. He added that now the decision rests with the Left Club, which is the “disposer” of this project. If the club completes the documentation, it is possible that the Sejm will consider the project during this session.

Free Christmas Eve in 2024?

Marshal Hołownia expressed doubts whether introducing a new day off from work this year is a good idea. He argued that changing the work schedule in key sectors, such as trade or offices, could introduce organizational chaos. Hołownia suggested that a more rational solution would be to introduce vacatio legis for a year, which would allow for the introduction of a day off on Christmas Eve from 2025.

A similar position was expressed by the Minister of Development and Technology, Krzysztof Paszyk from PSL, who clearly announced that he would not agree to the introduction of a day off on Christmas Eve this year.

His opinion is also supported by the Minister of Funds and Regional Policy, Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz (Poland 2050 – Third Road), who in an interview with Radio Zet admitted that it is worth considering whether it would be possible to replace another day off with Christmas Eve to minimize costs for the economy. , which for each additional day off amount to PLN 6 to 8 billion.

Arguments for and against

However, the demand for a free Christmas Eve is supported by some politicians. Minister of Agriculture Czesław Siekierski (PSL) stated that it is possible to make Christmas Eve a day off this year. In turn, President Andrzej Duda, in an interview for Radio Zet, declared that he would sign the law on a day off on Christmas Eve if it was adopted by the Sejm, because he supports this idea. This declaration emphasizes that there is support for this solution, at least at the presidential level.

However, the idea is met with resistance from the trade industry. She points out that introducing a day off on Christmas Eve could negatively impact financial results, especially since December is a key trading month. Representatives of the trade sector proposed an alternative solution, which was to introduce an additional shopping Sunday before Christmas, instead of changing working days at the last minute.

Procedural and political issues

Ultimately, the decision on whether Christmas Eve will become a day off depends on the agreement of MPs in the Sejm and on completing the missing information in the Left’s project. Hołownia pointed out that as the Marshal of the Sejm, he plays the role of “guardian of procedures” and decisions regarding the acceleration of work depend on the consent of the MPs.