Polish teachers protest at Chancellery over stalled wage legislation and 2027 pay offer

Protests at the Chancellery

Around 2,000 teachers and education workers gathered outside the Chancellery of the Prime Minister on Aleje Ujazdowskie in Warsaw on Monday, 31 August 2026. Organised by the Polish Teachers' Union (ZNP), the demonstration began at 11:00 under slogans including "Politicians to the blackboard" and "Niceness is over". Regional delegations travelled from across Poland, including roughly 350 educators from Wielkopolska in seven buses and 142 teachers from Podkarpacie representing towns such as Rzeszow, Przemysl, and Mielec. Protesters blew whistles, displayed red cards aimed at the cabinet, and carried banners demanding higher pay and professional dignity. The rally formed part of a nationwide protest alert declared by the ZNP Main Board in June.

Addressing the crowd, ZNP President Slawomir Broniarz pointed to the reliance of the school system on teacher enthusiasm.

It does not matter to us who governs. We are here because we have had enough of a school that relies on our enthusiasm and passion. No coalition can ignore the voice of 250,000 citizens. Our salaries cannot depend on the goodwill of this or that minister. And passion will not pay our bills.

Legislative stalemate on wage indexation

The primary focus of the demonstration was the civic draft bill titled "Worthy pay and high teacher prestige", which aims to automatically link teacher remuneration to the average national wage in the economy. Backed by 250,000 citizen signatures, the legislative initiative entered the Sejm in 2021. Union officials noted that 1,747 days had passed since the bill passed its first reading and moved to parliamentary committee without subsequent enactment. Protesters recalled that Prime Minister Donald Tusk promised at the ZNP Congress in November 2024 to accelerate legislative work without delay. Under the union proposal, the base salary of a certified teacher would equal at least 100% of the average national wage from the second quarter of the preceding year.

Union demands versus government budget plans

Union leaders expressed frustration with the government draft budget for 2027, which offers an inflation-linked salary increase of 3%. The ZNP is demanding a 15% salary increase for 2027 as an alternative to systemic indexation, describing the 3% proposal as inadequate. Union representatives noted that starting teachers currently receive a base wage only 502 PLN above the statutory minimum wage, while the gap between a beginner and an appointed teacher is 161 PLN gross. The union also called for the removal of the 2032 expiration date on teacher compensatory allowances, a measure teachers stated had previously been promised a ten-year extension.

Speaking on the earlier 30% salary increase granted in 2024, ZNP Vice President Urszula Wozniak challenged the coalition's long-term approach.

For three years we have heard that we received 30 percent pay rises. That was necessary to fill the gap after the PiS government. And after this government, who will fill the gaps?

Talks with the Education Ministry

Following the demonstration in the street, a delegation of protesting educators was admitted into the Chancellery. The union representatives met with Minister of Education Barbara Nowacka and the Head of the Prime Minister's Chancellery Jan Grabiec. The Ministry of National Education maintained that work continues on structural wage reform. Ministry spokesperson Ewelina Gorczyca stated in July that officials are developing a stable mechanism tying teacher pay directly to economic indicators to eliminate annual political negotiations over remuneration levels.