According to previous unofficial announcements, salaries in the budget sector would have increased approx. 7-8 In this way, employees will be compensated for the high inflation and the real decline in wages in the public sector. Everything indicates that employees, including teachers, will receive it at the end of the budget One-time rewardswhich was guaranteed in the agreement signed last month between the government and NSZZ Solidarno. And next year they will get increases, but only at the expected inflation rate (6.6 percent). What about employee representatives?
We will react the way unions should act. The omissions of recent years mean that a real improvement in the situation of personnel in the budgetary sphere today requires expenditures calculated in billions of zlotys. The government spent money, but not in the budgetary sphere – Grzegorz Sikora, Communications Director of the Trade Union Forum (FZZ) points out.
In practice, this means that autumn workers’ protests are possible.
We discuss possible scenarios. A decision has not been made on this matter yet, but it is maturing. The need for protests is loud, among others. Representatives of teachers and, more broadly, employees of the public service sector – points to Norbert Kosiak, director of the Economic Policy Department of the National Alliance of Trade Unions (OPZZ).
Activists assert that the lack of increases announced on the occasion of the government’s agreement with “Solidarity” added fuel to the fire.
– Without a real improvement in the situation, the staff will be Leave the public sector en masse. “Next year will be difficult for public services in this regard,” adds Grzegorz Sikora.
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How much do budget employees actually lose?
Public sector workers have found themselves in a difficult situation due to high rates of inflation and lack of sufficient spending on wages in recent years. This is shown in the table below, showing budget increases and price increases for goods and services.
| How have salaries grown in the budget sphere (by an increase in one indicator) compared to inflation? | ||
|---|---|---|
| year | Salary increase in the budget area (by indicator *, in percentage) | Inflation (in percentage). |
|
2024 ** |
6.6 |
6.6 |
|
2023 |
7.8 |
12.0 ** |
|
2022 |
0.0 |
14.4 |
|
2021 |
0.0 |
5.1 |
|
2020 |
6.0 |
3.4 |
|
* In addition to increases for all employees based on a single indicator, increases are also possible for selected groups of employees through the Payroll Fund ** based on indicators approved for the preparation of the draft budget for the year 2024. |
||
– In the years 2021-2023 The cumulative inflation rate has reached more than 30 percent. The increases amounted to one indicator in the field of budget only 7.8 percent That is why the systemic changes that we hypothesize are so important, that would link wages in the public sector with the dynamics of An increase in the average salary. Then the differences in wage increases between the public and private sectors will not widen to the detriment of the first – asserts Norbert Kuciak.
The above calculations include only indicative increases (for all), not those through the Bonus Fund (which allow wage increases for categories of individuals employed by certain public entities). However, even taking into account this specificity, the situation with wages for employees in the budget segment is difficult. This is noticed not only by trade unions, but also by employerswho demand the government to increase wages.
– Teachers, scholars, local government employees, and local government administration personnel are facing a particularly difficult situation today. Given the underestimated rate of inflation, their real earnings will decline. That is why we propose increases for the budget sphere in 2024, not at the level of 6.6 percent, as the government would like, but by at least 20 percent. – Professor points out. Jacek Męcina, Team Leader for Budget, Compensation and Social Benefits of the Council for Social Dialogue (RDS), and Adviser to the Board of Directors of the Federation of Lujatan.
He asserts that only a significant increase will provide budgetary staff with a sense of social justice and will enable the maintenance of the quality of public services.
– If the government at the expense of entrepreneurs finances about 20 percent. Increasing the minimum wage, it is more responsible for increases at a level comparable to the public sector, rather than by 6.6 percent. – Adds A.D. Messina.
Trade unionists from the FZZ and the OPZZ, in turn, reserve their proposals for an increase in salaries, i.e. o 20 percent. This year and about 24 percent the next.
Not lifted after agreement
A third national trade union headquarters, NSZZ Solidarno, is in a different position. We have been negotiating an agreement with the government on matters relating to employment and social policy for half a year, Except for the Council for Social Dialogue, trade unions and other employers’ organizations. Among the topics negotiated were budget increases. In the end, it turned out that the agreement concluded does not provide for an additional salary increase this year, only one-time awards for some professional groups, including teachers (they will receive PLN 1,125 each), which we wrote more about in Business Insider.
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Of course, this is additional money for some budget employees and from this perspective Solidarity can be satisfied, But expectations – especially after the previous unofficial announcements – were much higher. Employees do not expect one-time bonuses, they expect salary increases, Which will increase your salary permanently (thanks to the rule by which the increases in subsequent years will be calculated will also be higher).
In addition, the price for one-time payment of bonuses is high. In negotiations with unions and employers in the RDS Forum, the government may emphasize the former They do not have a common positionBecause one of the headquarters supports his proposals for raises (which employers consider too low). Secondly, after the conclusion of the agreement by one of the three unions across the country significantly It will be difficult to mobilize employees for possible protests. For the third time again The importance of RDS and mutual trust has been undermined social partners.
Of course, as part of the “Solidarity” agreement, other favorable solutions for employees were negotiated, including, for example, the partial unfreezing of the company’s social benefit fund and the strengthening of protection, among others pregnant women, parents on leave and trade union activists. However, it is hard to believe that this will relieve government budget employees whose salaries hover around the minimum wage. After the minimum wage increases next year (up to PLN 4,242 from January and PLN 4,300 from July), this will be an even larger group of employees.
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Will there be departures for private companies?
In practice, it is likely that without significant increases, more and more people, especially specialists, will do this Resignation from work in public institutions. with a record low unemployment rate (5.1 percent in May 2023) You should have no problem finding a job in the private sector.
“Now there are no people willing to work in the public sphere. It is enough to analyze the number of job advertisements published by management. The 90s, when many people sought stable jobs in public bodies, have long passed. Certainly, some people with suitable qualifications will move into the private sector. And in practice it should be the other way around, given the challenges related, for example, to the development of artificial intelligence. Management will not be able to cope without hiring specialists, – emphasizes Norbert Kuciak.
And according to trade unionists, the coming year may be particularly difficult in this regard.
– There is a real threat due to staff shortages, for example There will be no lessons, and the school must be closed or the citizen will not settle the matter with the officeBecause either the window will be closed, or there will be a huge queue, because only one person will deal with the supplicants. Every citizen should realize that it is in his interest to fund a decent wage from his taxes. Because thanks to this, he will be able to use good quality public services Grzegorz Sikora explains.
This aspect is also emphasized by employers.
The low level of salaries in the public sector reduces the attractiveness of work, which leads to the erosion of workers in the public sector. This hinders the development of the country – explains the prof. Messina.
It also appears that participation in work is affected wage flatteningthat is, a situation where, thanks to increases in the minimum wage, the salaries of only those with lower incomes increase faster (which in practice leads to equalization of salaries regardless of the type of duties performed and the qualifications obtained).
Business people disagree The deterioration of the quality of public services, as this may be another barrier Business Administration and Project Development – adds the prof. Jacek Mussina.
Of course, negotiations are still going on between the government, trade unions and employers about a wage increase next year. The next meeting of the RDS Budget, Payroll, and Benefits team will be held tomorrow. Therefore, higher wage increases are still possible, in line with the demands of the social partners.
Author: Łukasz Guza, journalist for Business Insider Poland
