Government considers minimum hourly wage

Photo: Glowimages

“A report will be made looking into whether it is possible to introduce a provision on the minimum wage per hour - the rate would be about 10 zloty per hour,” Minister of Labour Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz told RMF FM.

At present, the minimum wage pertains to the most common form of employment contract (umowa o pracy) by which employees should be paid a gross income of at least 1600 zloty (381.6 euros) for a month's work.

This assumes that an average Polish employee works 39 hours per week, adding up to a total of 156 hours per month. This balances out at just over 10 zloty per hour.

However, for those that sign the less commonplace contract of mandate (umowa zlecenia), which concerns the completion of a specific task or tasks, the employee has no minimum wage guarantee, nor is the employer obliged to grant sick leave.

Piotr Szumlewicz from the All-Poland Alliance of Trade Unions (OPZZ) told Polish Radio that about 900,000 people in Poland earn their living from the latter.

He argues that sometimes employees are paid just 3 zloty (0.7 euros), and in some cases even less, for an hour's work.

“This [prospective new law] will help hundreds of thousands of people who currently work for an amount that's below their dignity,” he said.

Szumlewwicz said that 11 zloty per hour would be a better rate, but that “even if it is 10, it is a step in the right direction. (nh)