Finally, a specific date was announced. Thousands of people will receive compensation and higher payouts

The pay rises in the Prison Service are to be implemented after signing all necessary legal acts. It was announced that on April 13, 2026, salaries, wages and all due benefits for officers and employees of this formation will be equalized. This means that people employed and serving in the PS will receive funds resulting from the previously announced changes.

The increases will be implemented in accordance with the arrangements adopted during the meeting of representatives of the Central Board of the Prison Service and trade unions, which took place on February 12, 2026. It was also indicated that the entire process is in accordance with the Act of December 23, 1999 on shaping remuneration in the state budget and amending certain acts.

Pay rises in the Prison Service with compensation from the beginning of the year

The regulations provide that salaries for employees of the state budget sphere will be increased within three months of the announcement of the Budget Act, but with compensation from January 1 of a given year. It was recalled that the Budget Act for 2026 was published and entered into force on January 20, 2026, with effect from January 1, 2026.

This is why the compensation announced for April 13 will cover the earlier period. This applies not only to salaries and wages, but also to all due benefits. In practice, this means implementing the arrangements in such a way as to take into account the new rules in force from the beginning of the financial year.

Pay raises in the Prison Service required the completion of legal procedures

The announcement emphasized that the processing of legal acts is a multi-stage process and involves many entities. This means that the date of entry into force of the regulations necessary to implement the increases depends not only on the official aspect, but also on a number of formal statutory requirements. The entire process had to be carried out in accordance with applicable rules.

The Act of May 23, 1991 on trade unions is of particular importance here. Pursuant to its provisions, government authorities and administration bodies submit draft legal acts regarding the tasks of trade unions to the relevant statutory authorities of the union. A deadline of not less than 30 days must be set for presenting the opinion, and after shortening it, it cannot be less than 21 days.

Pay rises in the Prison Service could not bypass the statutory deadlines

It was pointed out that the efficient processing of the draft legal act also depends on factors beyond the official’s control. This means that even with the readiness to act quickly, the regulatory deadlines had to be met. Omitting them could have serious legal consequences for the entire process.

It was noted that failure to meet deadlines related to the processing of legal acts, including those arising from the Trade Union Act, may lead to the provisions being questioned by the Constitutional Tribunal due to a defective legislative procedure. For this reason raises in the Prison Service have been linked to the full completion of the required formalities, and their implementation is scheduled for April 13, 2026.