The ‘Family 500 plus’ programme, the minimum hourly wage of 12 PLN for contracts of mandate and contracts for services and the amendment of the Labour Code are the most important tasks that the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy worked on during the first 100 days.

The ‘Family 500 Plus’ programme will be launched in Poland already in April this year. Today, President Andrzej Duda signed the Act on state aid in raising children.

On 11 February, Prof. Gertruda Uścińska was appointed the President of the Polish Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) by Prime Minister Beata Szydło. The appointment was presented by Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy, Elżbieta Rafalska.

 “We propose a systematic, groundbreaking solution to the family policy problems,” said Minister Elżbieta Rafalska presenting the draft Act on state aid in raising children Family 500 plus in the Sejm. 

Since 1 July 2016, the hourly minimum wage of PLN 12 will apply for contracts of mandate and contracts for services. The bill was submitted to public consultation.

Since 15 January, Minister Elżbieta Rafalska and deputy ministers will meet in all voivodships with representatives of communes and non-governmental organisations to talk about the ‘Family 500 plus’ programme. 

The ‘Family 500 Plus’ programme, the hourly minimum wage of PLN 12, the amendment of the Labour Code and the Act on nutritional assistance are the key changes announced by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy.

In December 2015, the registered unemployment rate was 9.8 per cent. Such a good result at the end of the year has not been recorded since 2008.

Since 1 January 2016, the minimum wage which an employer must pay an employee working under the employment contract will be PLN 1850. This means an increase of PLN 100 compared to 2015. Therefore, an employee earning the national minimum wage will receive about PLN 1355 net. Lower wage would constitute a violation of employee rights.

The Central Statistical Office reports that in November this year the unemployment rate is 9.6 per cent. That is less than indicated by the estimates of the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy.