Keeping our promises – new measures for teachers and state budget sector employees already adopted by the Council of Ministers
09.06.2023
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, together with Minister of Finance Magdalena Rzeczkowska, presented the amendments that the Council of Ministers adopted in this year's budget. We will allocate additional funds for teachers, state budget sector employees, and local governments. This is the result, among other things, of the agreement signed this week with the Independent Self-Governing Trade Union “Solidarity”. We always turn words into deeds – that was the case with the 500+ Programme and that is the case now. Amending the budget would not have been possible if it were not for the reform of public finances and effective fight against the VAT mafias.
Read about all the solutions we included in the agreement with Solidarity.
Financial support for teachers and budget sector employees
Later this year, teachers will receive a bonus to mark the 250th anniversary of the Commission of National Education. PLN 1125 will go to teachers employed:
- in a school or institution;
- in a kindergarten;
- in another form of pre-school education.
Additional funds will also be earmarked for employees of the state budget sector. They will receive a one-off additional remuneration in 2023. We will also create an incentive fund from which employees will be able to receive a one-off allowance in 2023.
“Today's solutions are a nod to effective commitment, overcoming crises for all working people, for the entire middle class, because our goal remains unchanged: Poland with equal opportunities," stressed the head of the Polish government.
Increased funding for company social benefit funds
The basis for financing company social benefit funds and social funds is the average monthly salary in Poland. The current benchmark is the second half of 2019. A change in the regulations makes it the second half of 2021 from 1 July 2023. This is an increase from PLN 4434.58 to PLN 5 104.90, or 15.2%.
These funds are used by the employer for social activities for employees. They benefit teachers, employees of the state budget sector as well as retirees and pensioners from the uniformed services. The funds can include:
- holiday subsidies for employees;
- loans on preferential terms;
- aid in difficult life situations.
Ground-breaking solutions for employees
These changes are in response to the agreement signed this week between the government and Solidarity. The employee solutions it contains include:
- repeal of the expiring nature of bridging pensions;
- additional funds for employees;
- a more financially favourable calculation of the minimum wage.
Additional funding for local governments
We support local governments in the implementation of their activities. In 2023, they will additionally receive more than PLN 14 billion. These funds will supplement the general subsidy.
“The PLN 14 billion for local governments, dear local government officials, is primarily intended to supplement current expenditure”, stressed Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. “If someone has less or no problems with this, they have the opportunity to allocate the funds that will accrue to the local government unit for investment.”
We are committed to ensuring that Poland develops evenly and that positive changes are visible not only in the largest agglomerations. This is why we also implement numerous investment programmes, such as the Strategic Investment Programme or the National Road Construction Programme. As a result, new facilities, such as schools, crèches and better quality roads, are being built in your neighbourhood.
More for agriculture and defence
The head of the Polish government also highlighted significant changes in the area of support for agriculture and defence.
“We are trying, through these amendments to the Budget Law, to secure measures, both related to the difficulties in the agricultural markets, to the need to create solidarity corridors, which we have done, to ensure higher purchase prices than those currently in force on the market, on the MATIF exchange, which is also what we promised earlier,” concluded the Prime Minister.
In the area of defence, we have provided funds to implement foreign contracts, but also to fuel our arms industry. The Prime Minister cited the example of the “Huta Stalowa Wola” smelter, which we supported with PLN 600 million.
