Polish mining sector implements severance and leave packages

Polish mining companies are implementing social protection packages to facilitate the gradual reduction of coal extraction. Under these provisions, miners leaving the profession can opt for a mining leave lasting up to five years, receiving 80 percent of their salary. Employees in coal mechanical processing plants are eligible for a similar leave for up to four years at the same pay rate.

Alternatively, workers can choose a one-time severance payment of 170,000 PLN net, which is exempt from health insurance and income tax for those with at least three years of seniority. Choosing the lump-sum severance means the individual is prohibited from returning to work within the mining structures.

As of August 2026, Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa reported that 2,033 employees had opted for leave, while 668 took the severance. Within Polska Grupa Górnicza, 1,754 employees transitioned to mining leave and 706 received severance payments by the end of June. These measures are part of a 2021 social agreement aimed at managing the planned closure of five mines and the eventual end of energy coal mining by 2049. The programs apply to employees of Polska Grupa Górnicza, Południowy Koncern Węglowy, Węglokoksu Kraj, Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa, and LW Bogdanka.