In a bold declaration at the Law and Justice (PiS) party’s program convention in Katowice, Poland’s Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, vowed to elevate the country’s average salary to PLN 10,000 (EUR 2,159) if his party secures another term in power. With just two weeks remaining until the general election scheduled for October 15, Morawiecki emphasized the stark differences between the present labor market, shaped by the PiS government, and the conditions during the 2007-2015 coalition rule of the opposition parties Civic Platform (PO) and Polish People’s Party (PSL).
Reflecting on the past, Morawiecki painted a grim picture of high unemployment under PO and PSL’s governance. He recalled a time when 2.3 million people were jobless, over 2 million were trapped in precarious jobs with meager pay, and an additional 2 million had to seek employment abroad to sustain themselves. According to Morawiecki, this era represented a Poland devoid of hope, a nation reduced to a mere assembly plant with cheap labor, a situation he vehemently opposed.
Under the PiS government, Morawiecki proudly asserted, dignity had been restored to the labor market. He highlighted the implementation of a minimum hourly rate of PLN 23 (EUR 5), set to rise to PLN 28 (EUR 6) in the coming months, resulting in an average salary surpassing PLN 7,000 (EUR 1,511). Morawiecki firmly stated his party’s commitment to ensuring a minimum average salary of PLN 10,000 in the Polish economy within the next four years.
Describing the current state of affairs as a mark of a civilized labor market, Morawiecki applauded his government’s achievements, citing historically low unemployment rates in the history of the Third Polish Republic and ranking second in the European Union for low joblessness. These milestones, he emphasized, were the direct outcomes of the policies and efforts spearheaded by the PiS government.