ZUS employees to walk out Wednesday in two-hour warning strike over pay
Employees of Poland's Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) will stage a two-hour nationwide warning strike on 17 June from 8 to 10 a.m., with unions demanding a 1,200-zloty monthly raise after rejecting management's latest offer of a 220-zloty increase.
Strike timing and scope
The warning strike, organized by NSZZ “Solidarność” and three other unions, will see employees leave their desks across all ZUS branches nationwide. The action is scheduled for 8:00 to 10:00 on Wednesday, 17 June 2026. While offices will remain open, ZUS has warned that service delays are likely and has asked clients to postpone visits to after 10 a.m. or use electronic channels. The institution said the hotline will operate but with longer wait times.
We'll know how many employees take part in the strike at 7:59, just before the office opens.
Pay demands and rejected offers
At the heart of the dispute is the unions’ demand for a 1,200-zloty gross monthly raise for every ZUS employee. The latest management proposal, a 220-zloty increase plus a one-time 4,000-zloty bonus (subject to approvals), was dismissed as inadequate. An earlier offer of a 170-zloty base raise (around 241 with additional components) and a 2,000-zloty bonus was also rejected. Union leaders argue that wages have lagged behind living costs for years and that staff are overburdened by new tasks such as widow’s pensions and June retirement benefits.
- Union demand
- 1200 PLN
- Latest ZUS offer
- 220 PLN
- Initial ZUS offer (base)
- 170 PLN
We earn very little, we have more and more work, positions are being cut, we make up with overtime. New systems that were supposed to make work easier are not sufficiently prepared. We work on outdated systems.
Institutional response and legal context
ZUS management insists the strike is a legally permitted one-time warning action under the collective dispute law. It has repeatedly asked the Ministry of Finance for extra funds beyond the planned 3% wage fund increase, without success. Meeting the full union demand would raise the payroll budget by more than 1 billion złoty in 2026 alone, the institution says.
The complete rejection of the pay agreement by the trade unions blocks real possibilities of increasing employee wages.
Impact on the public and services
The institution has assured that benefit payments (such as pensions and the 800+ child benefit) will not be disrupted. However, clients visiting branches during the strike hours should expect longer queues, reduced service capacity, and possible delays in handling cases. ZUS encourages using the eZUS portal and mobile apps as an alternative.
- Employees occupy ZUS headquarters for several days
- Nationwide strike referendum launched
- Two-hour warning strike begins
Broader mobilization and next steps
The warning strike follows an April occupation of ZUS headquarters by employees protesting the lack of dialogue. Yesterday, on 16 June, a separate union (Związkowa Alternatywa) launched a nationwide strike referendum that runs until 6 July, asking members whether to authorize a full-scale strike. In a letter to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the joint unions stated that months of negotiations and mediation have failed to yield a satisfactory response.
We underline with all firmness that the negotiations and mediation held within the collective dispute have not led to solving the problems reported by the employees of the Institution. Despite the social side’s readiness for dialogue, the Employer has not presented a proposal that matches the real scale of duties, responsibility and employees’ expectations.
