The Polish Teachers’ Union (ZNP) is pressing Prime Minister Donald Tusk to fulfill his November 2024 pledge to expedite legislation linking teacher salaries to the national average wage.
ZNP Demands Action on Teacher Pay
The Polish Teachers’ Union (ZNP) is calling for immediate resumption of work in the Sejm on a citizen’s initiative concerning teacher salaries. The union reminds Prime Minister Donald Tusk of his November 2024 declaration that work on the project would be accelerated.
ZNP President Sławomir Broniarz, speaking on the occasion of the Prime Minister’s birthday, stated the union wishes Tusk health and the fulfillment of his promises, including those made to teachers at the ZNP’s November 2024 congress.
Key Demand: Linking Pay to Average Wage
The ZNP’s core demand is to link teacher salaries to the national average wage. Broniarz noted that during the congress, the Prime Minister pledged to expedite work on the citizen’s legislative proposal to amend the Teacher’s Charter.
The amendment aims to guarantee teachers a real increase in wages by tying their salaries to the average wage in the economy. To date, no progress has been made on this issue, according to the ZNP.
Addressing the Generational Gap and Potential Crisis
Broniarz emphasized that the amendment would provide financial prospects for new teachers entering the profession. He highlighted that working conditions and pay are major factors discouraging young people from becoming teachers and causing experienced teachers to leave the profession.
The average age of Polish teachers is nearly 50, creating a generational gap within the teaching workforce. Broniarz warned that if retiring teachers are not replaced by younger educators, the Polish school system faces an impending crisis, even considering the demographic decline.
Timeline and Government Response
The ZNP is urging swift action, noting that the government’s proposals for wage increases and the state budget for 2027 are expected to be presented to the Social Dialogue Council in June.
Project History and Previous Delays
The ZNP submitted the Teacher’s Charter amendment to the Sejm in November 2021. It received its first reading in February 2022 but stalled in committee. The project was revisited by lawmakers in the new term, with a second first reading on January 25, 2024.
A special committee was established to review the project, but progress has been limited. Prime Minister Tusk assured the ZNP in November 2024 that there would be “no further delay” and that the project would serve as a starting point for serious negotiations.
Financial Obstacles and Ministry of Finance Concerns
Three meetings of the Sejm sub-committee have been held, with only the election of a presidium and discussion of a work schedule accomplished. The last meeting took place in March of last year, and no further sessions are currently scheduled.
The sub-committee chairman, Adam Krzemiński, stated that further meetings were postponed pending an opinion from the Ministry of Finance regarding the financial impact of the amendment. The Ministry of Finance estimated the cost at approximately 35 billion złoty, suggesting the project was financially unfeasible.
Alternative Solutions and Ministry of Education Efforts
The Ministry of Education is reportedly working on a new index to determine teacher pay increases, aiming to remove political influence from the process. The goal is to establish an annual index for wage valorization, regardless of ministerial decisions.
Education Minister Barbara Nowacka confirmed that the ministry is developing a solution that considers various factors, ensuring no teacher is disadvantaged and maintaining the quality of education. She indicated a preference for linking pay to an external index, as proposed by the ZNP.
Current System and Proposed Changes
Currently, teacher salaries are based on a base amount determined annually in the state budget. This base amount is used to calculate the average teacher salary, which includes a base salary and various allowances.
The citizen’s initiative proposes that the average salary for a trainee teacher be 90% of the average wage in the third quarter of the preceding budgetary year, rising to 100% for a contract teacher, 125% for a tenured teacher, and 155% for a distinguished teacher. Following changes to the teacher career advancement system, the ZNP proposed an amendment setting the starting salary at 100% of the average wage.
