Draft of proposed law would reduce minimum wage for first-time employees

The Labor Ministry has drafted a new bill that proposes lowering the minimum wage for first-time employees. "We want employers to hire young people without work experience more eagerly," said Deputy Labor Minister Krzysztof Pater. Under the proposed law, the minimum wage for first-time workers would stand at 80% of the current minimum wage for the first year of employment and would increase to 90% in the second year. Currently the minimum wage is zl. 760 per month, which would give a beginning worker zl. 608 per month. However, the Ministry said that the proposed law would not apply to people with higher education. (Rzeczpospolita, pp. A1, A3) P.J.