ZUS Employees Plan Warning Strike Over Wage Dispute

Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) staff will hold a two-hour warning strike on Wednesday, June 17, potentially causing service delays as labor unions reject management’s current pay increase proposals.

Warning strike details

ZUS employees have scheduled a warning strike for Wednesday, June 17, between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM. During this period, clients visiting local branches may experience significantly longer waiting times for service.

The institution advises clients to plan their visits for after 10:00 AM or on a different day. ZUS also encourages the use of the eZUS portal and official mobile applications for handling administrative matters. The helpline will remain operational, though wait times may increase during the strike.

Root causes of the labor dispute

The strike is a formal step in a collective labor dispute registered with the District Labor Inspector. Unions are demanding better working conditions, citing excessive workloads and interpersonal issues as primary concerns. Management confirmed the strike is legal, noting such action can only occur once during the dispute process.

Financial negotiations and wage demands

The core of the dispute involves annual salary negotiations. Unions are seeking a raise of 1,200 PLN gross per position, while management has offered a 220 PLN gross increase alongside a one-time 4,000 PLN gross bonus. Previous offers of 170 PLN base pay increases and a 2,000 PLN bonus were also rejected.

ZUS management stated that union demands would increase the total wage budget by over 1 billion PLN by 2026, exceeding the institution’s financial capacity. The institution remains open to further dialogue and has previously petitioned for higher wage fund limits beyond the standard 3 percent.