Poland to implement EU minimum wage directive says minister

Poland will transpose the EU Minimum Wage Directive as part of its efforts to adjust the country’s salaries to EU standards, the Family and Social Affairs Ministry said on Monday.

Following January’s increase to 3,490 zlotys (€759) and the expected step up to 3,600 zł (€783) from July, this announcement may result in yet another minimum wage increase.

“As a member of the European Union, we strive for European conditions. We will implement in full the directive on European minimum wage,” Deputy Family and Social Affairs Minister Stanisław Szwed told Super Express.

However, to transpose the directive, the government must first ensure the changes go through the necessary legislative process, he added.

While the EU directive was adopted in 2021, the local and parliamentary elections later this year are the likely reason why the conservative government is only pushing for its transposition now, Money.pl reported.

Under the EU directive, minimum pay must equal at least half of the state average, meaning that for Poland, it should amount to 4,130 zlotys (€898), which is 640 zlotys (€139) more than the current minimum pay. Also, the minimum hourly rate will rise by 3.80 zlotys (€0.83) from July.

However, the directive is mostly addressed to other EU member states since Poland is already close to the indicated minimum pay level, Marcin Klucznik, a fellow at Polish Economic Institute (PIE), told Money.pl.

Poland either fulfils the directive’s requirements or is very close to fulfilling them, depending on the year, Klucznik said, adding that the EU directive would provoke big changes in other EU countries.

(Aleksandra Krzysztoszek | EURACTIV.pl)