Jerónimo Martins will contest before the courts the decision of the Polish competition authority, UOKIK, which imposed a fine of 525 million zlotys (121 million euros) on Jerónimo Martins Polska, owner of the Biedronka supermarket chain. The Portuguese group states it is convinced it did not engage in any illegal practice and expresses concern about having been informed of the decision through the media, without having been previously notified.
UOKIK also imposed fines exceeding 570 million zlotys (131.7 million euros) on 29 transport companies and eight individuals, in a total of fines that involved Biedronka's owner. According to the regulator, the transport companies that served Biedronka's distribution centers agreed not to compete for staff, in an agreement allegedly coordinated by Jerónimo Martins Polska.
According to the regulatory authority, the collusion between Jerónimo Martins Polska and its partner transport companies lasted from June 2017 until at least February 2024, when the investigation took place. As a consequence, drivers had little freedom to change jobs, with the determining factor not being competence, but rather who they had previously worked for.
The president of UOKIK, Tomasz Chróstny, stated that workers have the right to seek better salaries and working conditions, and that connivance that denies this right violates the fundamental principles of fair competition. Jerónimo Martins highlighted that its internal policies and Code of Conduct expressly prohibit any behavior that may result in the restriction of competition.
