ZUS Staff Vote Overwhelmingly for Strike Action Over Pay Hikes

Nearly 98 percent of ZUS employees who participated in a recent referendum have voted in favor of a strike, demanding a 1,200 PLN increase in their base salaries.

Referendum Results and Union Demands

According to Piotr Szumlewicz, head of the Związkowa Alternatywa union, 21,852 employees voted in support of strike action. Out of the 43,885 eligible staff, 22,969 took part in the vote, meeting the legal threshold for validity with a 51.04 percent turnout.

The union is demanding a 1,200 PLN gross monthly salary increase per employee. Szumlewicz stated that if negotiations with the employer fail, the union holds the legal right to organize an indefinite general strike.

Management Response to the Vote

ZUS spokesperson Karol Poznański dismissed the referendum as irrelevant. He argued that the vote was organized during a period when the employer was already engaged in a collective dispute over wage demands.

The ZUS president has invited union representatives to mediation meetings scheduled for July 15 and 16 at the Social Partnership Center in Warsaw to discuss wage-related grievances.

Dispute Over Wage Proposals

While unions demand a 1,200 PLN increase, the ZUS management has proposed a 200 PLN raise per position, which would total 284 PLN when accounting for additional components like seniority bonuses and annual rewards. Furthermore, management offered a one-time bonus of 3,400 PLN gross.

ZUS management has also questioned the legal standing of the Związkowa Alternatywa union, citing a court ruling that suggested the union was not established in accordance with legal requirements. Szumlewicz rejected this stance, characterizing it as an individual case that does not invalidate the union’s right to represent workers.