Polish teachers issue pay rise demand


The main ZNP Polish teachers’ union, has called on local authorities to bring forward promised pay rises to June after suspending its national strike at the end of April.


The strike began on 8 April and was formally suspended by the two unions involved — the ZNP and the teachers’ union in the FZZ confederation after 19 days of action. The third teachers’ union, the education section of the union Solidarnosc, signed an agreement with the government just before the strike began.


A key reason for the strike suspension was a change in the law, which reduced the effectiveness of the action. 


The government pushed through legislation which made it possible for secondary school students to be assessed at the end of their time at school without any teacher involvement — normally an essential element of the process. 


It was immediately after this measure was signed into law by Polish president Andrzej Duda, a member of the governing PiS party, that the unions suspended the action.


Despite the suspension, the unions have not abandoned their demand for a 30% increase in teachers’ pay, and have said that they will consider restarting action in September. 


In the meantime, they have benefitted from a 5% pay increase in January and have a further 9.6% increase promised from 1 September. It is this increase which the union is calling to be brought forward to help teachers who lost pay during the strike.