PM vows Poland's average salary to rise to over EUR 2,000 in four years

Mateusz Morawiecki, Poland's prime minister, has pledged that if the ruling party Law and Justice (PiS) stays in power for another term, an average salary in the country will amount to PLN 10,000 (EUR 2,159).

He made the promise at the PiS's programme convention held in the southern city of Katowice on Sunday, just two weeks before the general election due on October 15.

During his speech, Morawiecki compared the current situation on the labour market with that when the opposition parties Civic Platform (PO) and Polish People's Party (PSL) held power in coalition in the years 2007-2015.

"The labour market under PO - that was 2.3 million jobless people. Over 2 million people on junk contracts. Working for PLN 4-5 (ca EUR 1) an hour. That was over 2 million people sent to emigration to earn a living. This was a Poland with no prospects, an assembly plant, cheap labour. We do not want such a Poland," he said.

Morawiecki further argued that "dignity was restored in the labour market" under PiS.

"This is the minimum hourly rate of PLN 23 (EUR 5), and in a few months it will be PLN 28 (EUR 6), per hour. This is an average salary exceeding well over PLN 7,000 (EUR 1,511)." he said.

And we maintain our promise for the coming years, Morawiecki continued.

"In four years it will be at least PLN 10,000 of the average salary in the Polish economy, " he said.

This is a civilized labour market, this is the lowest unemployment in the history of the Third Polish Republic. This is the second lowest unemployment in the EU. These are the achievements of the PiS government," he said.