- Tweeter
republish
On an indefinite strike for eleven days, Polish teachers demand an increase in wages and denounce the policy of the government. A new social movement that, after the disillusionment of the territorial elections, foreshadows a difficult future for the party in power.
On average, they receive only 3,500 gross zlotys per month, the equivalent of 814 euros. A figure that places Polish teachers among the lowest paid OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development). On April 8, more than 500 of the country's 700,000 primary and secondary school teachers decided that the situation was no longer tenable. They started an indefinite strike a stone's throw from the end-of-year exams. A mass mobilization that gives a historical turn to this movement, the most unifying since 1993, and which symbolizes a global challenge to the social policy of the Law and Justice Party (PiS).
The main demand of teachers? That is a salary increase of 1,000 zlotys (nearly 230 euros), two increases of 15% over one year. Requests swept away by the PiS, the party in power, which offers only 9% increase. An increase that is more subject to an increase in working time.
For now, negotiations with the government are at a standstill. So teachers continue their mobilization and rely on a high level of sympathy with Polish society. " On 17 April, a concert was held in the center of Warsaw to support teachers ," says Amélie Zima, a teacher at Sciences Po, a specialist in Poland. A prize pool has also been set up. It has already grouped 6.5 million zlotys (just over 1.5 million euros, Editor's note) . A second was opened by an opposition newspaper and brought together 200,000 zlotys. There is the idea that Polish society has a debt to teachers because they are the ones who transmit the knowledge .
A pensioner's allowance challenged
For fear of seeing the crisis bogged down, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has invited teachers' representatives, as well as the opposition, to a round table to be held in late April if all parties agree. For a little over a month of European elections, these strikes of magnitude weaken the electoral prospects of the party. " The PiS is not in an extremely favorable position," says the researcher . The territorial elections of autumn were a semi-failure for the party, which did not win any big city. Warsaw, Krakow, Gdansk or Poznan have fallen into the hands of the opponents of the Civic Coalition ".
►Also read: Municipalities in Poland: opposition wins big cities
And if the PiS is reluctant to align with the demands of the movement led by teachers, it is because the state coffers have been substantially emptied by the allocation of an allocation of 2.4 million zlotys to retirees. " For the opposition, it is an electoral measure: this allowance is intended to be paid in May, at the time of the European elections, and not to be renewed. The government selects the social groups it wants to help. Since teachers are not part of their electoral clientele, they do not feel they have to meet the needs of teachers, "says Amélie Zima. With the ballot approaching, the party is also putting on a smoother image and trying to present " more acceptable ", " less cleaving " faces.
The strike action launched on April 8 adds to a long list of protests since the arrival of the party in power: demonstrations against the reform of justice, against the hardening of the law on abortion, occupations of Parliament by the families of disabled people for 40 days, movements of academics, doctors ... And Amélie Zima to add: " Some sociologists in Poland believe that no party has faced so many social movements since 1989. We do not necessarily find convergence of struggles, but a fairly strong opposition dynamic .
The PiS of little in the lead polls
However, the opposition, which supports the teachers' strike, is struggling to capitalize on the movement. With 35% of voting intentions, according to a recent opinion poll, the ship Law and Justice is on course, but remains within the scope of the opposition led by the European Coalition (33%). " What is problematic for this coalition is the creation of Wiosna (Spring in French), the young center-left party of Robert Biedron ," the researcher said. Wiosna does not seem willing to join the coalition. Very liberal on issues of morality, this party is credited with 10 % of voting intentions in the European. It can potentially prevent the general victory of the opposition. It is a party that can paradoxically benefit the PiS .
►Also read: Leftist, gay and atheist, Robert Biedron wants to upset Polish politics
If large-scale strikes were to continue, the situation could evolve unfavorably for the party in power by the parliamentary elections scheduled for this autumn. For Amélie Zima, " it will be necessary to see if the opposition will be able to recreate the coalition of territorial elections. The center right had joined the Liberals in the Civic Coalition. They renew the experience for the Europeans under the name of European Coalition. The question is whether they will reproduce that for the legislative elections. If this is the case, the PiS will be in danger .