Maximum employment, minimum salaries
The Deputy Minister of Labor, Robert Kwiatkowski, has put forward a proposal to lower minimum monthly salaries, in a bid to boost employment in Poland's poorest regions.
The plan is one element in a broader package of changes the Ministry is working on in order to stimulate the Polish labor market. The Ministry is considering passing regulatory power to local authorities, which then would be able to lower labor costs, depending on the employment situation.
"Lowering labor costs will mostly refer to under-qualified workers whose salaries do not exceed zł.1,100 a month and who are the most unemployment-prone group," says a spokesperson for the Ministry, Andrzej Zybała. He says the changes can be expected to be introduced in a few months time. Currently, the minimum salary is zł.899 per month.
Supporters of the concept claim that the changes will make it easier for poorly qualified workers to find a job, especially since in poorer regions there are more unemployed ready to work for lower salaries. However, trade unions are not so optimistic.
"The idea creates many problems. Many people live and work in different places. What will be taken into consideration when deciding on the salaries?" Henryk Nakonieczny from NSZZ Solidarnoć asked in Gazeta Wyborcza.
The Ministry of Labor is also working on amendments to an employment bill. "The Ministry does not have many tools to influence the labor market. This year analysts forecast significant economic growth. I hope this will have a positive impact on the labor market," said Zybała.
