A sit-in protest is underway at the headquarters of the Zakład Ubezpieczeń Społecznych (ZUS – Social Insurance Institution – ed.) in Warsaw. Trade unionists are occupying the building and have made it clear they will remain until someone with real decision-making authority from the Ministry of Finance joins negotiations.
The immediate cause of the protest is the proposed wage increases, which employees—and the union representing them, the ZUS Employees’ Trade Union affiliated with the Ogólnopolskie Porozumienie Związków Zawodowych (All-Poland Alliance of Trade Unions – ed.)—say are far too low and completely disproportionate to the scale of responsibilities carried out daily by staff.
Union representatives point to three main grievances: a growing workload, a lack of genuine dialogue with the employer, and the systematic ignoring of wage demands despite multiple rounds of talks. Their patience, they stress, has run out.
“We will not leave until we are taken seriously,” protest participants emphasized.
What are the workers demanding?
The demands have remained clear and unchanged since the beginning of the protest. Employees are calling for fair wages that reflect the scope of their duties, improved working conditions, and genuine social dialogue—not superficial consultations, but real negotiations with individuals who have actual decision-making power. A key condition for ending the occupation is the presence of a representative from the Ministry of Finance at the negotiating table.
The OPZZ has expressed full support for the protesters and announced it will back them throughout the duration of the action. Union members remain inside ZUS headquarters and show no intention of backing down. As they stress, the protest will continue as long as the government ignores their demands.
Negotiations with the union side, which has refused to leave the headquarters, had produced no results as of Thursday evening. After 6:00 p.m., the ZUS press office stated that talks are ongoing and that the employer has presented options for securing additional funds for wages from other items in the institution’s 2026 financial plan.
“Customer service at ZUS branches continues as normal, and the institution’s operations are proceeding without disruption,” representatives of the ZUS press office assured.