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Poland (PL)
Employment
The annual average number of employees in agriculture, hunting and forestry with an employment contract is 153,200, thereof 13,300 in the public sector.
In agriculture there are 92,000 full-time employees, 17,500 part-time employees and about 20,000 seasonal workers. Thereof 16,000 are from the Ukraine and other Eastern countries.
International Comparison of Employment
Wages and Labour Costs
In agriculture no collective agreements for the whole country have been concluded so far. In 47 % of rural companies there are company collective agreements, in 33 % there are wage regulations (for companies with more that 20 workers). In other companies wages are negotiated between employers and employees in an employment contract.
Wages in agriculture range from € 243.65 to € 643,87 per month.
The statutory minimum wage is € 243.65 (936.00 PLN).
About 30 % of the workers, mainly in small agricultural companies, earn the statutory minimum wage.
Welfare insurance
Employers are obliged to insure their employees in the national welfare insurance (ZUS), which is a body of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy. The employer is obliged to deduct an amount from the monthly wage of the employees and to additionally pay the contributions for every employee as follows:
Contribution from employee wage
- - old age insurance: 9,76 %
- - pension insurance: 6,50 %
- - medical insurance: 2,45 %
- - health insurance: 9,0 %
- total: 27,71 %
Employer's contribution for every employee
- - labour fund: 1,18 %
- - old age insurance: 9,76 %
- - pension insurance: 6,50 %
- - accident insurance: 2,45 %
- total: 19,89 %
The minimum income tax rate is 19 %, for higher wages it is 30 - 40 %.
For any taxation rate the tax is reduced by 7.75 % for the contributions paid to the health insurance scheme.
International Comparison of Wages and Labour Costs
Working Time
The weekly working time is 40 hours (8 hours per day in a 5-day week) over a period of 4 months. In agriculture and animal keeping the working time may be flexible over a period of 6 months. 150 hours of overtime per year must not be exceeded. Overtime bonuses in addition to the regular payment are as follows: 100 % for work at night, on Sundays and public holidays that are no working days for the employee; 50 % on any other day.
In 2006 an average worker worked 253 days x 8 hours, which amounts to an effective working time of 2,024 hours.
International Comparison of Working Time
Leave and Paid Holidays
The holiday duration is 20 working days for persons in their first ten years of working life, and after more than 10 years of work it is 26 working days.
The duration of working life includes vocational training in vocational schools, grammar schools and universities up to a maximum of 8 years. Employers must pay workers during their holidays.
International Comparison of Leave and Paid Holidays
Social Insurance
Employers insure their workers in the state welfare insurance ZUS. Individual farmers and their families are insured in KRUS. Employers pay higher contributions to ZUS. Persons born after 1949 may pay additional contributions in order to get a higher pension thereafter.
Occupational Health and Safety
In 2005 there were the following accidents in agriculture:
Accidents in individual agriculture: 128 fatal accidents, 20,800 accidents rendering persons unfit for work for more than 3 days.
Accidents in agricultural companies: 14 fatal accidents and 1,277 accidents rendering persons unfit for work for more than 3 days.
In state-run companies one fatal accident and 217 accidents rendering persons unfit for work for more than 3 days.
Agriculture in total: 143 fatal accidents, 22,354 accidents rendering persons unfit for work for a longer time.
Accidents on the way to and from work are not covered by the accident insurance.
The trade union has the legal right to directly oversee and check compliance with the labour legislation and health and safety at work in companies. The trade union co-operates closely with the state Labour Inspectorate and supports voluntary labour inspectors. In addition there are trade union experts for health and safety at work in companies with more than 250 employees.
International Comparison of Occupational Health and Safety
Trade Union Influence
In agriculture 32,000 employees are trade union members of ZZPR and 'Solidarność'. The union is active in 436 out of 1,320 companies, which is a reach of 33%.
International Comparison of Trade Union Influence
Minimum Standards
There is a statutory minimum wage.
International Comparison of Minimum Standards
Trade Union Participation
The trade union is represented in parliament and in the tri-partite committee, and in the bodies of ZUS and KRUS, as advisor to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, in employment committees in the districts and provinces.
The trade union makes assessments on legal transaction projects that affect agriculture and employees.
International Comparison of Trade Union Participation
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