Polish teachers strike over pay as talks between govt, unions fail

Teachers across Poland held a strike on Monday after the government and unions failed to agree on proposed wage increases, Reuters reported. Talks between three teachers’ trade unions and the government ended on Sunday evening with two unions sticking by their demand of a monthly salary increase of 1,000 zlotys (US$262). Only one smaller union agreed to the government’s offer of a 15-percent monthly increase starting from September. Public sector workers in Poland stepped up calls for pay increases after the ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) promised in February a hefty increase in social spending as part of its election campaign. Many teachers are also unhappy with “chaotic education reform.”