Update: 2026-12-06.

Iwona Kowalska-Matis, ZUS regional press spokesperson in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship:

The management of the Social Insurance Institution has taken and continues to take steps aimed at reaching an agreement with the social side from the beginning of the talks—something that would prevent the protest action. However, if the announced warning strike takes place, we will try to ensure smooth customer service, and benefits will be paid on time.

Let us recall. On June 10, we reported that the Inspectorate of the Social Insurance Institution in Bolesławiec was expected to join a nationwide warning strike by ZUS employees. The protest will take place on June 17, 2026, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

According to materials prepared by the organizers, one of the main slogans of the action is “Fair pay, respect.” The protesters also emphasize that the strike is not directed against customers of the Social Insurance Institution. “We work for you—we are fighting for better conditions,” reads another slogan of the initiative.

Why are the employees protesting?

According to the strike organizers, there are several reasons. The most important include:

  • low salaries which—in the employees’ view—do not correspond to the scope of responsibility and workload,
  • a lack of dialogue and response from the government side to the demands submitted,
  • staffing problems resulting in an excessive workload and staff shortages.

The informational materials prepared for the protest also emphasize that the employees’ demands have remained unanswered for a long time.

“The reason for the strike is the lack of dialogue and action on the part of the government. We have been submitting demands for a long time—with no result,” reads the organizers’ statement.

It is not only about pay rises

As our source reported, the protest concerns more than just the amount of the expected pay rises:

The fight for pay rises is not primarily about increasing salaries by PLN 1,200. The main problem is that medical assessors at ZUS are expected to receive pay rises of approximately 25 percent, while the remaining employees will not even receive a 3-percent salary increase.

An appeal to ZUS customers

The protest organizers are also addressing customers of the Social Insurance Institution. During the strike, that is, between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., they ask customers to limit visits to branches and use electronic services.

Employees encourage people to handle matters through ZUS online platforms, pointing out that this saves time and avoids the need to visit the office in person.

At the same time, the protesters emphasize that they are committed to maintaining a high quality of customer service and improving working conditions, which—in their view—have a direct impact on the operation of the entire institution.

We are awaiting ZUS’s statement

On May 29, we sent questions concerning the planned protest to the spokesperson for the Social Insurance Institution in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship.

We had not received a response by the time the article was published.