Polish ZUS workers plan nationwide strike over low pay

Four major trade unions, including NSZZ Solidarity, have announced a two‑hour warning strike at the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) on 17 June. Workers say the offered salary increase of 220 zlotys gross per month – roughly 160 zlotys net – does not keep pace with inflation and the cost of living.

The unions warn that the strike could halt all client services and disable ZUS’s IT systems, affecting millions of citizens who rely on pension and benefit processing. The move puts the Donald Tusk government under pressure to engage in substantive social dialogue and resolve the wage dispute.

ZUS employs about 43,000 staff and handles large financial flows for the Polish welfare system. Failure to reach an agreement could lead to a broader paralysis of the public insurer’s offices across the country.