The Music Dies for Poland’s Gig Economy Workers

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"I have some savings and was able to suspend my bank loan," the award-winning singer and actor said. "But if I don't go to work in June, it'll be bad. I'd be willing to do any job, actually. Just which one? Work in a closed restaurant?"

Januszkiewicz is one of millions of employees on contracts known in Polish as "smieciowki" — literary meaning "junk" or "trash" contracts — or other non-standard forms of employment. This includes all sorts of freelancers, artists, entrepreneurs and professional service providers. 

Over the years, junk contracts have plagued Poland's labour market. The share of the "smieciowki" workforce stood at 24.3 percent in 2018, compared with 5.6 percent in 2000 — a jump that makes Poland second only to Spain in the EU when it comes to temporary forms of employment, according to Eurostat.

In 2018, some 1.3 million people toiled on task-specific contracts or casual-work contracts, the two most popular "smieciowki". Meanwhile, another 1.3 million were classed as self-employed.

Taken together, that amounts to 2.6 million people with unstable incomes and fragile safety nets. Many have bank loans and other liabilities, making them especially vulnerable as the coronavirus crisis sends the economy into freefall.

In central Warsaw, the U Jadzi shop has been selling garden supplies since the interwar period. It survived World War II and the communist era — but owner Roman Pienkowski fears coronavirus may finish it off.

"The crisis came at the worst possible time," he said. "I start the season in March and stock up my store by August. From what...