Polish president Andrzej Duda has signed a bill whereby the country’s minimum wage will be set at PLN 12 (EUR 2.73) an hour from 2017.
The new rules will apply to casual and self-employed workers. According to the bill which was signed on 5 August, the amount will be indexed each year, depending on the increase in minimum wage at the time.
According to the Family, Labour and Social Policy Ministry, which was behind the new bill, the new regulations will prevent the abuse of civil law contracts, while protecting employees at the lowest wage levels. Employers who are caught paying their workers less than the national minimum could face fines of between PLN 1,000 and PLN 30,000 (EUR 225-6,700).
The minimum wage may be raised in the future, depending on the minimum full-time job rates. The new bill has been hailed by unions and labour experts, although employers have complained. The new legislation was one of the key campaign pledges of the ruling conservative Law and Justice (PiS), in power since October.
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