Teachers’ union ZNP condemns government’s proposed 3% pay increase for 2026, warning it will exacerbate the crisis in schools.
Real Raises Needed, Not Symbolic
The Presidium of the ZNP National Executive Board consistently demands a higher increase in basic teacher salaries for 2026 than the government’s proposed 3%. Unionists note that 2024 raises (30% and 33%) were corrective and dignity-oriented after years of neglect. They improved teachers’ material situation but did not lead to real wage growth relative to the average or minimum wage. Similarly, the 5% indexation in 2025 did not fundamentally change this.
Flattened Pay and 161 Zł Difference
A key ZNP demand is eliminating the flattening of basic salaries between teachers without professional advancement and those with tenure. The current difference is merely 161 zł gross. The union argues such a small difference demotivates professional development and retention, fueling a staffing crisis and a shortage of young teachers in schools.
MEN Project: 3% for All Advancement Levels
The Ministry of National Education scheduled a consultative meeting for February 17 on the 2026 pay regulation project. It proposes a 3% increase in minimum basic salary rates at each professional level, translating to gross raises from 151 zł to 186 zł, depending on the level and pay group. The second pay group will see even lower increases, from 151 zł to 162 zł gross.
Systemic Solutions Over Patchwork Fixes
The ZNP Presidium demands not only higher raises for 2026 but also urgent processing of the citizen’s bill to amend the Teacher’s Charter – the “Dignified Wages and High Prestige of Teachers” initiative. The union cites Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s November 2024 declaration to accelerate work on this project, arguing only systemic, long-term solutions can stop the outflow of education staff and rebuild the profession’s prestige, which the current 3% proposal fails to do.
