Ruling party submits bill to cut pay for MPs, senators
PR dla Zagranicy
Victoria Bieniek
13.04.2018 15:48
Poland's ruling conservative Law and Justice party has submitted a bill to cut pay for members of parliament and senators by 20 percent.
Law and Justice MPs Ryszard Terlecki, Jarosław Kaczyński and Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak. Photo: PAP/Radek Pietruszka
The head of the Law and Justice party caucus Ryszard Terlecki said the new rules would enter into force soon.
Jarosław Kaczyński last week said he wanted to see parliamentarians take a pay cut, warning his fellow party members that those who did not back the plan would not stand for reelection.
He said he wanted elected local government officials to also take a 20 percent pay cut and that he wanted to do away with bonuses and fringe benefits for people in management roles in state-owned companies.
Kaczyński's announcement last week came after a number of polls showed a slump in support for the ruling party.
Support for Law and Justice fell after news emerged that former Prime Minister Beata Szydło awarded herself and other top politicians bonuses of about 50 percent of their annual salaries.
Some Law and Justice politicians criticised the way the opinion polls were conducted.
A number of ruling party front-benchers received bonuses which varied from PLN 65,000 to PLN 82,000 gross. Szydło awarded herself PLN 65,000.
The pay-outs came before a major government reshuffle which saw Szydło and about half of government ministers replaced.
Prior to its election in late 2015, the Law and Justice party was vocally critical of its predecessors who gave themselves hefty bonuses. (vb/pk)
Source: IAR