New minimum wage rules. Poland chases EU standards

The bill on minimum remuneration for work was sent to the permanent committee of the Council of Ministers. Its purpose is to implement the EU directive on adequate wages, which Poland should have been introduced in November 2024.

The project assumes several variants of calculating the minimum wage – including based on 50 percent average salary or 60 percent median. Productivity issues, the role of the advisory body and the rules of valorisation are also discussed. The new regulations are to ensure a more transparent mechanism and greater participation of social partners in the decision -making process.

Delayed implementation of EU regulations

Poland belongs to the countries that were late with the implementation of EU requirements. The directive imposes on the member states the obligation to create clear procedures for determining and updating the lowest salary. Every two years, you will also have to report to the European Commission data on the amount of the minimum wage, the number of employees covered by it and the exceptions and deductions used.

The Standing Committee of the Council of Ministers will decide the disputed issues

Labor Minister Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk sent a project divergence report to the permanent committee. Comments submitted as part of the work on the Act include, among others:

• changing the scope of ingredients included in the minimum wage,

• location of the advisory body,

• Use of 55 percent forecast average salary as a reference value,

• definition of productivity,

• distribution of an increase in the minimum wage at two times of its change,

• Application of the verification indicator.

For now, the date of the next committee meeting has not been established.

What indicators will be taken into account?

The assessment of the adequacy of the minimum wage is to be based on specific indicators:

• 60 percent gross median remuneration,

• 50 percent average gross salary,

• Other values ​​applied national.

The directive also provides for mandatory inclusion of social partners in the decision making process.

Controversy around the minimum wage components

The biggest disputes concerned whether the allowances and bonuses could be included in the minimum wage. The original version was assumed that the minimum wage would be identical to the basic pay. Under the influence of the comments of other departments, the project was relaxed – the gradual exclusion of bonuses and allowances from the minimum wage was introduced. Minister Dziemianowicz-Bąk emphasized that the basic salary could still not be lower than the statutory minimum wage.