Poland: #EnoughisEnough demonstration

Published: 24 September 2018

Last Saturday, on 22 September 2018, All-Poland Alliance of Trade Unions (OPZZ) to which one of the ETUCE member organisations in Poland, ZNP, is affiliated, organised in Warsaw the demonstration “Poland Needs a Pay Rise” as a part of the European Campaign “Europe needs a Pay Rise”.

Among other things, the main demands of the demonstartion were:

pay rise for workers particularly in the public sector in Poland;
respect for social dialogue;
protection of workers’ and trade unions’ rights and more democratic society.

During the demonstration, Sławomir Broniarz, ZNP President, stated, “We have good schools, good teachers but poor salaries. It cannot go on like this!”

According to OPZZ, in terms of the economic policy, since the economic crisis the wage increase indicators for public services have been frozen. Poland has still one of the largest number of non- standard forms of employment (temporary employment contracts, bogus self-employment). The minimum wage is still below 50 per cent of the average wage at the level of 480 Euro.

Susan Flocken, ETUCE European Director, said “ETUCE supports teachers in Poland in their demand for better social dialogue in education and decent working conditions and salaries. Without these basic requirements, progress to enhance high quality education will be stifled.”