Abstract

Th is paper presents an analysis of 24 articles and 310 comments under the analyzed articles relating to the OPZZ and ZNP trade union protests of September, 22, 2018 in Warsaw. This analysis presents how and to what extent media contribute to the trade union’s image and which elements of this image resonate with the public. Th e image of the unions, with its origins in the 1980s and 1990s, is still strongly present in the offi cial and personal discourse. Th e union’s image consists of convictions that the unions are politically motivated, act for their own good and gain, union members do not work as hard as the rest of the workers, they belong to the „undeserving rich” class and benefi t from the social unrest. Th e signifi cant change occurred in defining the confl ict in which unions take part. Previously it was a state-union confl ict, where the state was willing to implement rogressive reforms and unions were opposing changes. Currently it is non-union employees-unions, where unions are seen as representatives of the undeserving rich. People when confronted with neutral message concerning the unions tend to ignore it and use their previous convictions about the unions, hence the union’s negative image has been embedded in their world view and they look for information which confi rms their convictions. Conclusions attempts to answer the question how the unions can modify their positive message to appeal successfully to the public.

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