JSW launches first wave of 1,123 workers on state‑funded mining leave

On 1 July 2024, the first group of 1,123 employees of Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa (JSW) began mining leave under a new program announced after a subsidy agreement with Poland’s Ministry of Energy. The scheme is part of a broader transformation of the hard‑coal mining sector planned for 2026‑2031 and follows amendments to the mining law.

The programme aims to grant mining leave to up to 4,248 workers, with a target of 3,092 participants by 2026. Eligible staff—those with no more than five years until retirement eligibility—receive 80 % of their salary while on leave, which can last up to five years (four years for processing‑plant workers). The state‑financed cost for the 2024 tranche is estimated at about 500 million zł.

JSW is the EU’s largest producer of hard coking coal and a major coke supplier, listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange since 2011.