Government intends to fight unemployment by reducing employers' costs

The government is putting the finishing touches on a package of bills aimed at fighting unemployment, the Gazeta Wyborcza daily has learned. Measures the new legislation envisages introducing to reduce Poland's mounting number of jobless include personal income tax cuts and health insurance premium hikes. Labor Minister Piotr Kolodziejczyk stressed that the government intends to free employers from their current obligation to pay employees sick leave by making ZUS responsible for these payments. Though this would make an increase in ZUS premiums paid by employees necessary, the government hopes that by cutting employers' overall costs, they will be prompted to hire more staff, thereby reducing unemployment. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 3) A.Z.